Judgement (and a big vent!).....

I'm bothered lately, by people judging people.

I'm not sure why it seems to me that it's happening in prolific proportions these days. Maybe I'm just too sensitive, or too aware.

Everywhere I look, someone is judging someone. Someone's tearing someone else down. Someone's shaming someone else's decisions. It really saddens me.

Seems as though condemnation, cynicism, skepticism and judgment are running rampant in society today. What happened to grace, forgiveness, trust and acceptance?

I mean, you don't have to agree with someone's choices to be respectful of them.

You don't have to believe someone else's beliefs, to be tolerant of them.

You need not conform or change to fit someone else's standard or ideology. So why then is society as a whole so quick to judge the life and choices of others? Why are we so quick to condemn and belittle? Why are we so harsh with one another? So much negativity! It's painful just to watch, let alone to be on the receiving end.

And each and everyone of us is guilty of it.

But none of us is called to be the judge of another.

It's not our role or our place to stand in judgment of another human, another citizen of this earth.

Matthew 7:1-5 states:
1 "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.2 For you will be treated as you treat others.s The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.s
3 "And why worry about a speck in your friend's eyes when you have a log in your own?4 How can you think of saying to your friend,s `Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye?5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.

By the same standards we hold others to, we will also be judged by. And how true it is, we've got enough sin and shame of our own to deal with to be concerned with that of our friend or neighbor, or a perfect stranger!

We've all got skeletons in our closets. We're all flawed. We're all sinful. None of us is good enough to stand in judgment of another, though often times we do just that, and it only breeds more negativity.

And in my own life, I'm growing uncomfortable with it.

In my own life, I'm craving a peaceable existence.

I'm craving an environment of mutual acceptance, where people of different beliefs and morals can be open and honest, and still be friends. I'm craving an environment where we weigh in on the big issues only, the big ones meaning ones that actually effect the global population, and let the personal and private issues of others be just that, personal and private.

I'm tired of hearing people weigh in on the marriages of others.

The reproductive choices of others.

The financial choices of others.

How others discipline their kids.

How others raise their kids.

It makes me weary! What people must say about us! If it's not life or death, if it doesn't personally effect you, then withhold your judgment.

After all, God will judge us all. He's got it covered. He doesn't need to you weigh in on everything. He doesn't need you to start a heated and indignant debate on so-and-so's marriage or stint in rehab etc...

So, your neighbor has a speck in their eye, YOU'VE GOT A LOG IN YOURS!

Because this post wouldn't be productive without some introspection and practical application.

I judge. Heck, I think just by writing this post I've judged judgers! Haha, a part of human nature I guess!

But seriously. I judge. I make flash judgment's based on first impressions. Based on looks. I judge others relationships and parenting. I am after all, human. But I want to stop, or at the very least cut way back on the judgment I make of others. I'd like to start examining my own life and situation first before deciding whether or not my opinion would carry any weight at all. Am I judging someone for something I'm struggling with myself? If so, then I should cast my judgment inwards and try and give my own advice a try before dishing it out to someone else.

This has been weighing on me heavily lately. Friends judging friends. Siblings judging siblings. Children judging parents, children judging children. There isn't much room for love when its being crowded out by opinion.

But that's just my opinion ;)

Katie