Hosanna Restoration Church

Have you ever spit against the wind? If you did, did you do it again right away? Do you throw things straight up in the air and then stand there to see where the object will land, or do you keep you eye on it to make sure it does not come back and hit you on the head?

I realize that these sound like silly questions, but they are the pictures I get when I read that the words I say will come back at me. I have been a runner long enough to know that you don’t want to spit into the wind unless you want to wear it. I also know that it would not be very nice if you are running with others to just spit in the air let it land where it will. So it may just be that a mental picture like this will help us all to see the effects of just throwing criticism out there.

Notice that the Lord first said to stop judging others and you will not be judged. There are lots of ways to look at judging, but the judgments we make should concern our own lives and not the lives of others. Just because we choose not to do or to approve what someone else does is not necessarily judging them but God does not want us to get caught up in deciding their eternal fate over what they are doing now.

The truth is no one likes to be judged, and no one likes to be criticized. It is also true that we seem to be prone to both judging and criticizing others. As we grow in the Lord we become less likely to judge on an eternal basis and more like to pray for folks that we see as needing salvation and a new life that only Christ can give. After all, we don’t want to be judged by God for judging others.

However, when it comes to criticism I think we all need for God to set that guard over our mouths. If you are fortunate and already have this under complete control, then please pray for the rest of us because we need it. Think about it. We are quick to speak about the tiniest little thing that we see wrong with someone else. If someone else throws out a comment we often find ourselves approving it without even considering its’ validity.

Are you a person who is more likely to try and settle the pot, or one who jumps right in and stirs before you think? More than likely we all fall into both categories. Sometimes we walk in such peace that we shine like Jesus, and other times people would never know we are Christians by our words and actions.

May God grant us all a greater awareness of our thoughts, words, and actions concerning others and a deep desire to be more and more like Jesus every day.