Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
What a difficult and freeing scripture. Depending on if you are the one that did the hurting or the one hurting will determine how much you either enjoy this scripture or disdain it. What has helped me walk forward in forgiveness and bring my judgmental attitude to a lower level is to take my life and look at the whole picture and not only my immediate surroundings. Maybe the person who has wounded me has truly been a worse friend than me today. However, take the picture of my life from as far back as I can remember to the present day and it is far simpler
for me to see that I am just as rotten and diseased as any amount of evil this world has thrown at me. On the days where the memories of the wrong doing are too difficult to handle or the pain is still distracting, I take a walk on the wild side and imagine what my life would be like if I stopped following the Lord and ignored the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is when I can see who I really am and at that point, it becomes very easy to extend grace and mercy to the people in my life.When we get to heaven and stand before the Lord, He is going to ask me why I did the things I did, adopted the attitudes that were expressed, and walked in judgment towards the people He entrusted in my life. At that point I could try and argue my point of view, but I have a feeling that there is not an excuse that is going to matter. I am responsible for my actions, attitudes, motives, and each and every word spoken. One day I will give an account to the Lord for me, and I pray on that day, that this scripture helped guide each and every moment that He has left me here on this earth.
Lord,
I truly thank you for allowing me to be your representative on this earth. I choose to walk forward with my eyes focused on you and my heart loving each and every person you put in my path. I am only a mere man and have no right to judge another. Please help kill my pride and give me the eyes to see what you see. Instead of brokenness, you see them healed and complete. Instead of despair, you see them beaming with joy. Instead of using drugs, fame, sex, or success to bring fulfillment, you see them robed in your righteousness with a peace on their face that only comes from finding hope in you. I love you Lord and thank you for forgiving me and allowing me to experience your grace. Help my daily life truly represent who you have been in my life. Amen and Amen
