Judgement City

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?"  Mathew 7: 1-4

There are some subjects I must speak frankly about. The people closest to me know this about me, so here is my warning, there will be no sugarcoating with this subject.

This weekend I found myself amongst a group of Christian women who began talking about plastic surgery. The conversation started out innocent enough about how more women need to be confident in their inner beauty. But soon enough it became a bashing session about Korean culture (which is often very image focused) and about women who care about their appearances. There even were comments about tattoos, make up, and piercings and how they somehow are wrong? Mentioned in the conversation was the fact that 6th graders wanted to wear make up and how sad this fact was...."what is this world coming too?" I had to bite my tongue because I got my first eye liner in 6th grade and loved it! I wore that blue eye liner all the time and also loved wearing lip gloss. Does that mean I was a vain little girl asking to be judged because of my love of make up? Is my Mom a bad mother because she bought it for me? For at least 2 of my teen years I wanted to be a make up artist and loved learning about make up and wearing it all the time. Was this a sad moment in my childhood, or an exciting time of discovery about what I wanted to be when I grew up? By these Christian women's standards, my behavior as a teen was wrong....along with anyone who has ever gotten plastic surgery, tattoos, or piercings. I wanted to scream at these people....don't you realize that you are judging everyone when you speak about their appearances like this? As Christians aren't we told not to judge our brothers and sisters? The sad truth is this:

Christians judge. 

And it gets me so heated.

This is why I don't tell my fellow church friends in conversations about how I love to go out and dance the night away at clubs. I'm not getting wasted and going home with guys and yet I feel that's where the judgment will go. God gave me rhythm and a love for dance and I see nothing wrong with literally shaking the stress off with my best girlfriends to some funky electronic music. But if I say I got home on Saturday at 3am from a club in a party area of Seoul, where will their minds go? Judgment city. 

 I may have even pulled a muscle in my back when I was dancing into the wee hours of the morning, on stage, at a club......I will pause for judgmental thoughts......

.....and I will follow that up with the fact I was at an orphanage that same day volunteering my time to share Gods love with the abandoned children of Seoul.......I will pause for time for you to recant your previous thoughts.

It's that freaking easy to misjudge....so why do we do it? We are incorrect and in the wrong when we do that, but how often are we wrong when we show love to someone?

I am no perfect person, as judgment regretfully passes through my head all the time. But I often try to hold my tongue and absolutely give people the benefit of the doubt. I will try to gain an outside non bias perspective so I don't get caught up in a conversation which will make me look judgmental or better yet make someone feel judged. After all, if I am going around saying I love the Lord and then following that proclamation with judgmental ones, others will affiliate Christianity with being judgmental. And since there is no such thing as a part-time Christian, I need to watch my tone and my words all the time. Even if a conversation must be had, there's a way, a loving way to help someone through tough choices or times of change.

I know so many people who have stopped going to church, stopped reading their bible, and stopped being a Christian because of Christians judging them.

Don't you know that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar?

Whether you walk with Christ or without Him you should be able to live your life without judgment from your neighbor. Only God knows their heart and why they make the choices that they do, so who do you think it is OK to declare right or wrong about their choices? It's between them and God. So you need to zip it if your going to judge and especially condemn. When seeking answers people often take different roads. Just because someone takes a different path than you, doesn't make them wrong. And who are you to judge someone else for any struggles they are going through when you have many struggles of your own? No one is perfect, we all sin and screw up daily. We are all a mess, so who are you to point your finger in someone else's direction in judgment? 

"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things." Romans 2: 1

Do u know how many people we are robbing the opportunity for salvation, joy, and comfort in Christ when we put a bitter taste of judgment in their mouth? And I'm not talking 'I DON'T LIKE YOU AND YOU DON'T LIKE ME' kind of judgement, I'm talking about the big, hurtful, life altering judgment that beats people down until they say 'I GIVE UP.'  If u are going to be Mr. Judgmental or Ms. Nelly-know-it-all please do not tell that person your a Christian. It just makes Jesus look bad.

"There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" James 4 : 12

Judging right and wrong is Gods job, not ours. So why don't we follow a new job description??

"Love each other deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8

People often talk about the love of Christ so why are we offering them the judgment of Christ??? Is that what makes people want to surrender their lives to the Lord? Why aren't we focusing on the love part?

Love is what Jesus taught, love is the way, love is what changes lives.....not judgment.