Simply Be

Luke 6: ³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

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Asked to interview for the position, I felt delighted and suspicious at the same time. “They will not like me” I said to myself. I looked at their “evil” “sneaky” “low-down” ways and automatically said, there is no way I want to work with “these” people. I had no idea they wanted me to work on changing the culture.

• When I judge people I make assumptions.
• When I condemn people I may be missing out on opportunities.
• When I treat people as throw away, then I am measuring them.

JESUS says some very difficult words to absorb. HE breaks through the natural act of self-preservation by teaching people not to judge or condemn people too fast. HE knows humans use filters that may be inadequate to truly assess the situation. HE has different expectations.

• JESUS wants me to be generous instead of judging.
• JESUS wants me to speak life instead of pouring out poison.
• JESUS wants me to recognize the need for forgiveness so I can recognize that I need to be forgiven.

Blindness comes from a judgmental condemning attitude. Soon, no one can meet “my” standards. BUT GOD wants me to behave differently. HE want me to “Welcome”, “Edify”, “Build”, “Forgive” and “Love” as I want to be treated by HIM.

Here is another way to put it… Each thought I have and action I do, I am saying to GOD, “Please do the same to me.”  GOD gives me an abundance of what is in my heart.

• How do you treat people?
• Are you suspicious and judgmental so you can protect yourself?
• Can you stop judging and condemning people and start lifting them up so you can be lifted up by GOD?