May 5, 2013
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Judging the Judgers
I read some things on the internet that bugged me this week. Critical thoughts and opinions on international adoption and short term mission trips… two things that are huge parts of our lives. We are adopting internationally, and our job here in Guatemala will primarily be to be over short term teams coming to partner with our ministry. So yep. It was a double whammy attack.
You know that feeling you get when something that is personal for you is vehemently judged “awful” by someone else. 50% “pit of your stomach dread” that maybe they’re right and your life and decisions are really “awful”. It causes you to doubt for a minute all those confirmations God has given you that you’re in the right place; doing the right thing. And then the other 50% is anger. What does that prideful person think they know? How dare they have such a judgmental opinion?
But then I’ve constantly been weighing my emotions and responses with the things I shared in the last blog…about God calling me to a life of sweetness. And through the lens of sweetness I am allowing God to shape my thoughts.
Attacks, whether personal or found in web-world or book-world or even church-world should take me right into the secret place with Jesus. Not only do I need Him to reconfirm to me once again that we are in His will, but I also need to step into the place of humility that allows me to ask, “Is there some truth to this Jesus?” Is there something in this person’s rant, I mean passionate belief that could open my eyes to a dimension that would make my calling/passion more fruitful; more Christ-like?
Secondly, or maybe even firstly, we need to plead with the Lord to give us the grace to not hold a grudge or personal offense against the attacker. We don’t know their heart or motive. It could be much more righteous than we would ever want to admit.
Or sometimes not. I know this because I’m guilty.
Sometimes our callings can become our plank. We judge other people based on the things God has spoken to our hearts. God is so faithful to direct us so specifically so that there is no doubt what we are supposed to do. However, it then becomes scary easy to think that He must be saying the same thing to everyone else too, and that they are just refusing to listen. We decide it’s our job to be the “God whisperer” and shout His “message” as loudly as we can.
And we hurt people. We cause the beauty of our calling to lose some of it’s brilliance. It starts to blind us, when the primary purpose of it was to open our eyes.
I guess for me it comes down to two things:
- I need to listen to Jesus. Every single day, I HAVE to hear His voice. I have to be able to hear Him louder than the roar of everyone’s opinions. His voice is the only thing that will keep me steady.
- Stop judging the judgers. Because when I judge the judgers I become a judger. And that’s not who I want to be.
Comments (6)
So, so good! Especially the last paragraph! I need to frame those lines I think.:)
this is good for me to read. i sometimes find myself on both sides of the judging equation, and it’s not a fun place to be. i really like “- I need to listen to Jesus. Every single day, I HAVE to hear His voice. I have to be able to hear Him louder than the roar of everyone’s opinions. His voice is the only thing that will keep me steady.” i find that i have to keep reminding myself of that when i feel judgment coming at me, both from people IRL and things i read online. i also need to allow others that same grace, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in their lives and not judge their choices by what i feel God is speaking to US personally.
what you said about being able to ask, “is there some truth to this Jesus?” shows such depth~ someone who has a teachable spirit. and that’s something i so desire in my life, to never feel i’m at a place where i don’t have more to learn. even learn from those that i think are “wrong” or don’t agree with. because God uses it all – and every person i come in contact with i truly believe He has a purpose for!
don’t judge the judgers because then you become a judger! good reminder to me as i start my wk and even this morning as i was reading up on some blogs and yes, feeling my blood rise a bit with some things i didn’t like!!
)
I’m sorry and do understand
ha ha and I like that “Stop Judging the Judgers” 
Very well said! You are such a great communicator!
“Sometimes our callings can become our plank. We judge other people based on the things God has spoken to our hearts.” Yes, so been there. Great post. I have felt a lot like this many times through out our adoption. Especially when I returned to the states. I could not stand the complacency when my heart had taken in the urgency of such things going on. It was hard. Still is some days. I am just a seed planter, not the one who makes the seed grows.