Wednesday, April 18, 2012

judge not and be not judged…




i want to begin by saying that if you’ve been ‘turned off’ by Christianity; if you’ve been mortified by some of the things you may have witnessed taking place under “God’s roof”; if you’ve seen nothing but lies and hypocrisy and have been given every reason to believe that it’s all some big business and a complete joke; or that Jesus is some harsh, judging, and condemning being who wants nothing but our praises all day long, then this post is for you and i beg you to continue reading.

i will say to you-- I DON’T BLAME YOU!  i believe there are some serious flaws within our churches and the ‘messages’ about God that we receive. having grown up in the church and witnessing so much of the aforementioned, i know first hand the ways in which the enemy [Satan] makes his way into the places that are supposed to be the most sacred. he has crept into the hearts and minds of the most respected pastors and men & women of God…and not to solely blame the Devil here, we are human and because we are human we are all susceptible to arrogance and ‘superiority’ infiltrating our thoughts…when it happens to the best of us, especially our pastors and fellow church leaders, it affects the entire church and even new visitors who may have otherwise come to a true understanding of Christ.

as the years have gone by and having found a church 8 years ago and a pastor whose life and messages have always been consistent with the ‘LOVE’ and not judgment of God, i feel fortunate to have come to a deeper and truer understanding of the God who created me and the depths of Jesus’s love for me. this is not to denounce any other pastor i’ve been led by in my life, as i have heard and been affected by some powerful and heartfelt messages, but i have been blown away through the example of our pastor; Mark Foreman, at North Coast Calvary Chapel in Carlsbad, CA.  he is a man who doesn’t only ‘preach’ the Christian calling but ‘lives-out’ his preaching in the most determined, pure, funny, humbling, down-to-earth, and loving of ways.

as he spends months throughout each year traveling locally and to all ends of the world—sitting at the table of world religion peace conferences and talking with religious leaders from every nation--he brings back these stories and guest speakers from sister churches around the world and i will say…. there have been some powerful messages!

on one trip where he had returned from India, i remember him distraught as he shared his burden for ‘us’,  the Western Church collectively. having visited churches overseas where the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues was more common in church gatherings than not and having seen Christians in these other parts of the world with a pure and untainted knowledge and understanding of Jesus, as well as the pastors who’ve told him that it is our American churches they are concerned for and praying for…it was an eye opening journey, even for him.

we have become ‘the mission’ for our own established ‘missions’ and if that doesn’t wake up the ‘all-superior’ Western Church, then we are in serious trouble…why don’t we have more people, more young people in our nation taking a stand in love for Jesus? do we really know who He is? do we really understand what He’s done? do we really believe that He is alive? for so many of us, at a critical period in our lives, the wrong picture of Jesus was painted, leaving us tainted and robbed of His true Love and calling. i was no exception. i remember feeling ‘bad’ about who i was for the longest time until i discovered that who i was, was who He created me to be. this girl likes to have fun! i can be wild and have an internal, child-like need at times to just let loose; to dance and bop around, to express myself vocally and freely...i love jokes and making people laugh with off-the-wall comments and gestures…i AM a nut and often times all i need is to be around the people and friends who bring it out… should i have ever been made to feel condemned for it? should i have ever been made to feel ‘judged’ in having, quote on quote, “non-Christian friends” or going to places like bars  or clubs and enjoying a night out with them? no. the answer is “no”. i know that now, but i didn’t always…

 i can remember feeling tortured by the “Christian” way of not “doing as the world does” …not listening to music that “the world listens to” …even music like Enya and her songs without any lyrics …“but she’s not a Christian artist” i was told…says who!? and even so, who are we to judge!?? when i got over all that legalism and realized that God Himself actually detested the Pharisees for these same reasons,  i discovered the freedom of being me, the freedom of being out with my friends while often times finding myself witnessing to perfect strangers about God’s love… in these places that i “shouldn’t have been”. i believe that God chooses to use us wherever we are if we are willing and wanting to be used.  

 there are some very legalistic, condemning mindsets out there and a wide range of ‘Christian’ philosophy…but i believe that life is too short and ‘time’ too precious to spend being wrapped up in a bubble and strictly conformed to the company of only “Christians” and maintaining some ‘holier than thou’ attitude…ultimately, we rob ourselves from the joys that we may experience in relationships that need us and more importantly with Christ and knowing Him deeper. His Word tells us:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

 what i love about this verse is that He gives us the ability to discern for ourselves, through the transformed ‘renewal of our minds’ what His will is for us. to me, this means that He has required me to first and foremost seek Him and be led only by the conviction of His Holy Spirit in my life and decisions. He has His faith in me to love people where they are at, to be a friend always, and most importantly to take a stand for Him wherever i am. that said, i want to make Him proud wherever i go. but this does not go without saying that it is important that we are not brought ‘down’ by the world…to be ‘in’ it but not ‘of’ it. if we know we have or have had a ‘problem’ in the past with going to certain places than we shouldn’t go.  there have been times in my life where i’ve been out and instead of having a couple social drinks, i  have gotten incredibly drunk and made some poor decisions, like driving... i regret those nights and those huge mistakes where i could’ve hurt myself or someone else very badly. i praise and thank God with all my heart that it never happened! there usually are consequences for abusing anything, especially alcohol. i’ve learned that lesson...

but as i draw closer to Jesus, i haven’t made the decision to stop going out with friends on occasion, but i pray beforehand 1.) for the ability to control myself so as not to go against my own convictions imparted to me by the Holy Spirit and  2.) the opportunity to witness His words of Love as they have changed my own personal life- to the person who really needs to hear it…i’ll say...every time i’ve prayed that prayer, i’ve never been disappointed by the opportunities and open doors He’s provided! i’ve been able to listen to the stories of complete strangers and even cry at times…in the middle of a bar.

many of us have been given the impression that God is so serious and so strict, and angry with us; that over a bar, we should be spending 100% of our time in church and prayer gatherings and that our ‘conduct’ must be found  ‘godly’ at all times…but who determines these things? if God set the standard then we should look to Him and the Bible. if the Bible tells me [which it does] that i am made in the likeness of Him, then shouldn’t i believe that every side of me; the serious and the outrageously silly just might be in His likeness? and that each side of me needs its proper place of expression. if my heart and prayers are in line with His calling on my life then my soul is at peace, so where should anyone find the right to condemn or judge my life and my choices? the truth is…which took me some time to discover years ago, i am not the problem…my pitty falls on the one judging. it is he/she who will be judged accordingly in the end. not by me but God alone.

Matthew 7:5 “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.”  

Luke 6:37  “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven”

as long as i find peace in my ways, and as long as i obey God’s Word in the areas that universally matter to my spiritual growth [i.e. spending time in prayer and His Word]  than the legalistics of ‘Christianity’ as ‘others’ perceive them, have no place in my life. we are made to be peacemakers of the earth and representatives of Christ’s love for this world, not His judgment.

if we find ourselves getting so caught up with the ‘mistakes’ and ‘wrongdoings’ of others as we see them, then let these words burn our hearts. it is time to turn our  fingers back around and point them where they belong…at ourselves. when we are right with God, love conquers, and in that purity of  love and honest intention we may then express concern for those closest to us in a private manner and in a non-judgmental way; a way that helps them see and feel the light and love of you, and God in you, not the judgment and condemnation.

 i’ve been guilty of ‘gossip’ myself,  a bitter form of judgment…yes, i shamefully admit it. where i have been hurt by the judgment of others, i too have been found guilty and have needed forgiveness for it. i think many of us have been…but there is promise in His  forgiveness, if only we ask, and there is hope for our souls as we strive to do better and to love harder, without condemnation, boundaries, or conditions.

if this is striking a chord, then you are likely thinking about the ways in which you have also  been judged and have been made to feel guilty for being who you are, or have been guilty of passing judgment yourself. but JESUS loves us, accepts us, and welcomes us as we are… who you are is more precious to him than anything and as you search for Him, and discover His truth, His and only His holy and loving conviction should guide you and lead you to change the  areas of your life as He sees fit for you… if only for the betterment of your spiritual soul by His standards and His alone.  but your fundamental personality is who you are as wonderfully and  uniquely created by Him. so own it! be proud of it! as i continue to grow in my love and  understanding of Jesus, i discover so much more about Him, including His sense of humor. sometimes it happens in the most random moments and i’ll laugh out loud knowing that He is speaking straight to my soul’s personality…

and as i continue to place my heart and desires in His hands, i am sure of His faithfulness to deliver! Amen, Hallelujah to my Father who loves me inside and out, thank you Jesus!


Be Blessed,
in His Love
in His Forgiveness
in His Compassion

in His Grace


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