Monday; September 14

The other day I drove past a man holding a sign asking for assistance. I honestly can’t tell you what the sign said, but I do know what I thought, “I wonder why he is out begging for money?”. In that very brief interaction, I conjured up same quick thoughts about what might have brought that man to the point he was soliciting money on the side of the road. Then, it struck me. I wonder what people were thinking of me as I drove by him? Did they wonder why I didn’t stop to help? Were they assessing my character for why I wasn’t assisting a man who claimed he couldn’t make it on his own? In a single snapshot, the whole issue of judgement came full circle – I did it and I feared that others were doing it to me.

As I look back on that moment, I am drawn to Jesus’ simple, but straightforward comment, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2). Whether I am the one being judged or the one doing the judging; most times more information is needed to develop a fair and accurate assessment of what is really going on. We may not know the whole story – or we may not care about the whole story – so the best thing to do is not make critical decisions based on superficial information.
The next time we feel the need to judge someone else’s motives, let’s remember Jesus’ command and our own condition. When we do, we will act appropriately, and we might just receive a little compassion ourselves.

Think About It!

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