Pursue Reconciliation, Not Condemnation - The Crosswalk Devotional - July 1
Pursue Reconciliation, Not Condemnation
By Kelly Balarie
For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. – Matthew 7:2 NLT
Discipling a young student, I tried to make truth as plain as possible.
I said, “Judgment is like a boomerang. When you launch it at someone, you can expect it to hit them and then to immediately return and hit you.”
Judgment always boomerangs back to the one who launched it. . .
A wife speaks mean words to her husband. Before long, the husband is saying mean words to her.
A critic speaks loudly on social media, condemning a church. Before long, comments appear on his post -- accusing him.
A judgmental comment is made about a lady at church. Next week, after leaving church, the person that judged -- now feels judged. Without realizing it, they figure, people must be judging them the same way they judged. That’s what people do, after all!
Now, the reality of the situation is -- that judgment may not even be happening, but it is expected. Why? Because we expect people to treat us the same way we treat them. We assume judgment is happening because we, ourselves, are judgmental. The feeling of judgment is just as bad as the reality of it.
Judgment and condemnation are boomerangs that only serve to hit us in the face.
“For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” – Matthew 7:2 NLT
Ouch! Indeed, this truth hurts. But, confronting it is less painful than the standard of judgement we experience on Earth and in Heaven. For, if Jesus uses the same standard that we have used to judge others when we meet Him in Heaven, there is wisdom in repenting of all the judgment we have inflicted on Earth.
Where have you walked in judgment? Have you judged your spouse? Your children? Your boss? Yourself? Have you, from a point of self-righteousness, put other people down in your mind? I know I’ve done many of these things…
Let’s take a second and pray:
Father, forgive us! We don’t even realize, sometimes what we are doing! Give us power to walk, not with a heart of condemnation, but with a heart of reconciliation by your grace. Help us see the good in others, before we point out the bad. Give us eyes to see hope, rather than another person’s demise. Sound an alarm in us if we are to ever celebrate someone else’s misfortune. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
My husband and I have a saying that comes up when we are arguing. When a finger is pointed, and accusing words start flying, we say to the finger-pointer, “If you spot it, you got it!!!”
What does that mean if my husband says that to me? It means that if I spot a character issue with him, I probably have it in me. How can I know this? I wouldn’t be able to recognize it in him if I wasn’t already familiar with it in me. We see what we know. It is called projection.
What issue that you are quick to see in others may be something that God wants to address with you? How might His Word address that issue? How can you change? How might your actions inspire the other person to change, too?
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes
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Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!
Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
