By Andrea Merrell
Do not judge,
and you will not be judged.
Do not
condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and
you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:37 NIV
The first thought that shot through my mind when I
saw the girl was, do you even own a
mirror?
The next was maybe
that’s the best she has. Then, maybe
no one ever taught her how to dress properly and modestly. And finally, maybe she’s starved for attention and this
is all she knows to do. Pray for her.
Ouch! I quickly repented of my critical attitude.
My grandparents always told me not to judge, make
fun of, or look down on anyone. “Except for the grace of God, that could be
you,” they said.
The Bible says “judge not.” Why? In order that we
won’t be judged in return. So, how do we overcome a judgmental attitude and a
critical spirit? By extending grace.
The truth is everyone messes up. But when we set
high, unrealistic standards for others to live up to, we set them up for
failure—at least in our own eyes. It’s that whole idea of removing a tiny splinter
from another person’s eye when we have a stack of firewood in ours.
The Lord told Paul, “my grace is sufficient.” And
it’s sufficient for us as well, both as the giver and the receiver. Pastor and
author Bob Gass says, “When you take it upon yourself
to condemn others, you are denying them the same grace you may need before the
day is over.”
God gave freely so we might do the same. I need
His grace, so I must extend it to others.
How about you? Are you a grace-giver?
(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)
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