Often, in being dishonest about our own faults and failures, we have been far too insensitive and callous toward others who have fallen short. It is really unfair to others becuase all human judgment is partial, one-sided, and superficial.
When we judge others, we must realize that we are also judging ourselves. When we judge another, we are focusing on what is wrong with someone else in an attempt to shield or take the inner spotlight off of what is wrong with us.
A friend was sharing with me the other day how far God has brought Him over the years. He stated that there was a time when he would listen to his pastor's sermon and think about how his wife should be there to hear it as everything the pastor was preaching, he felt, related to her and he wondered why those that he felt needed to hear it, were never present.
He went on to relate how God revealed to him his own pride and slapped him across the face with the knowledge that each sermon he heard was for his ears, not his wife's.
Judging others reveal something unkind about us because we are making assumptions about others based on our distorted perception of what others should be like or how others should behave.
Judging others is the effect of our own ugly pride. Before pointing the righteous finger of accusation at someone else, remember that we all have personal deficits that we must continually work toward improving. The easiest thing in the world to do is find fault and we all know fault finders are a dime a dozen. Remember, we all have some skeletons in our inner closet dangling in wait to be discovered.
When tempted to focus on the shortcomings of others, STOP. Turn the magnifying glass on yourself. What you will see in yourself will temper your perception of others. You will begin to realize that it is not your sister or brother but you, who stand in the need of prayer. Keep in mind that the best scrutinizer of mankind is not man, but God. It is the omniscient God alone whose knowledge is thorough and absolutely just. Only God's judgment is perfect. Let us concentrate on rectifying our own lives and leave the faults of others to God.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..What the Animals Tell Us"I am the Sun's son. I... Read More
Even though our lives progressively moves forward on occasion it... Read More
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in... Read More
We have all heard the phrase, "follow your nose". This... Read More
I honestly am not sure why this hit me so... Read More
Forget what you have read or seen about vampires. The... Read More
Meeting someone so attractive, so beautiful. Your heart beats like... Read More
Spiritual stuff is a hard sell Roy and one of... Read More
In the spring of 2003, I spent three weeks in... Read More
Do you spend your time working towards that "one day... Read More
One thing that Jesus was NOT - was flashy. When... Read More
Do you know where your current path is taking you?Education,... Read More
In Corrogue I am seeking the source of inner beauty.This... Read More
Almost every spiritual and religious teaching exhorts its followers to... Read More
What is the purpose of guilt?Well, let's look at it.Some... Read More
Do you ever wonder about the other "YOU ?"The one... Read More
The still place is the beginning. Settle in there, ask... Read More
My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called... Read More
We all hear of the concept of the "Enlightened Master",... Read More
There are no better people to be around than those... Read More
The spiritually dead church. Now, I am not talking about... Read More
James 1:23-24Anyone who listens to the word but does not... Read More
Everyday I am challenged to find the good in things:... Read More
Every workday, five days a week, I take the light... Read More
Now, we all know that we shouldn't be lead by... Read More
residential cleaning services Deerfield ..Today is the day that I'm getting back into exercise.... Read More
I am not saying this because I am in need,... Read More
Do you have a servant's heart? Has God blessed you... Read More
A while back the Lord had given me this message... Read More
There's nothing new about "the new age" except the attitude... Read More
The concept of integrity has arisen often in discussions of... Read More
As we walk these halls of Life viewing the world... Read More
Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell recently starred in the movie... Read More
I very often see rants, complaints, wishes and dreams that... Read More
If we are honest with ourselves, we would have to... Read More
The Planetary Spread is an excellent layout to use when... Read More
There is a concept in Jewish mystical thought known as... Read More
My name is Had. You may know me, but you... Read More
1. Life is a precious gift given to us by... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. --ROMANS... Read More
I am deeply drawn to the above Irish Blessing.This blessing... Read More
Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad... Read More
Unconditional love means unconditional freedom. Love and freedom are two... Read More
I still remember the scene vividly. I was getting out... Read More
Whadda ya know?Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?... Read More
Do you ever feel that what you read in some... Read More
The ultimate purpose of dreaming is to provide you with... Read More
Ever notice how people dread discussing... Read More
Every workday, five days a week, I take the light... Read More
Spirituality |