Judge not, love more!

It seems those of us in the body of Christ have become more judgmental than ever before. Virtually every day I log into my Facebook, I’m left appalled and altogether saddened at a lot of the posts and comments from those who profess Christ. I recently decided to unfollow a certain Christian news Facebook page due to their condemnatory posts. I just couldn’t fathom how a Christian site could spew such hateful and judgmental words. More than 80 percent of the comment threads on such posts were even more spiteful and negative.  I often wondered how a non-Christian would react if he/she stumbled on that site. I still wonder about that.

It’s amazing that though most Christians are familiar with the fact that the Bible cautions us not to judge, we continue doing the finger-pointing and name-calling all under the guise of speaking the truth and trying to help people out of sin.  

Here’s what Jesus taught on the subject matter.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5.

Jesus’ message is clear: when we decide to judge others, we open ourselves up to be judged as well. And by so doing, our own faults, sins and inadequacies will be exposed.  When you point a finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you. Jesus said, “how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?”

Before you call someone a fornicator, be certain that you are a virgin or are not engaging in any form of sexual immorality. Before you label someone a thief or a liar, let it be that you have never taken anything that doesn’t belong to you…or have never spoken words that are not true. Your judgment over other people will only be justified if you have never done (or are not doing) any of the things you speak about them… “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Don’t go cleaning out other people’s closets, forgetting that you too have a skeleton-laden, cobweb infested closet of your own.  Because yes! We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…no one is perfect. Every day, we need God’s forgiveness and a dose of grace to keep us from stumbling or to get back up when we fall.

While there’s an onus on believers to always stand for and speak the truth, we are not called to judge…we are called to love. The two greatest commandments which Jesus…the author of our Christian faith gave us, are to love God wholeheartedly and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). Each time we judge someone, we miss an opportunity to lift them up. When we go around telling people how bad or sinful they are, we create a barrier that blocks us from expressing the love of God to them. 

Jesus didn’t just teach love…He lived a life of love. He set the example for us to emulate. Ironically, the only people He out rightly condemned were the Pharisees (the teachers and keepers of the law)…and for the very same hypocritical attitude which He warns us against.

It is God's job to judge, the Holy Spirit's job to convict and our job to love.

And when you don't know how to show them love...pray for them!

Take the limits off!

So many people go through life without any serious dreams, ambitions or concrete plans for themselves…for the future. Others do have plans, but are unable to execute them. Further still, many have talents and gifts but aren't putting them to use; they've remained buried, dormant...not yielding anything fruitful or tangible.

It dawned on me that the main reason why so many people seem to underachieve in life is because of self-imposed limitations, which keep them from never taking that bold step towards achieving their dreams.

Here are the four big ones:

1. People impose limits on themselves due to their circumstances. They look at their environment, family situation, and financial resources etc and conclude that they can't be successful at anything.

2. Oftentimes, we place limits on ourselves based on our past. If we tried certain things before and they didn't turn out right, we give up. We also cling to past mistakes we made and allow them define who we are, hence stifling what we're capable of doing right.

3. Some place limits on themselves based on other people's opinions...what others think they should (or shouldn't) be doing. Many people live out their lives through the eyes of others, and never truly get to discover what great potentials they possess.

4. Another major limitation we place on ourselves is fear. Fear of failure, criticism, and mockery from others. Fear makes you become comfortable where you are, even though you know there is something much better on the other side.

When you place limits on yourself, you'll always come close to doing something, but never actually do it. You'll constantly see yourself as second-best, not good enough, not talented enough, etc. Limitations will always create a barrier between an ordinary, regular life and a fulfilling one.

It is not God's plan for us to go through life without real purpose and without making positive impact. This holds true especially for Christians. God hasn't called us to live anything less than a fulfilling, purposeful and successful life in Him. Infact, we were created on purpose...for a purpose. For Christians, what separates us from the world is that our purpose should glorify God. Whatever we do with our abilities and gifts should reflect God in us.

There is no limit to what God can do. With Him, all things are possible…so with us in Him, and He in us…the sky is just the starting point. This is the kind of thought pattern we ought to develop…we must decide to take the limits off…and learn to see the endless possibilities that exist for us. We only have one chance on earth to make an impact, to productively use our talents and gifts...and we should be determined to do just that.