For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (Matt. 7:1-2 ESV)
I really struggled with what to write this morning. This verse above stuck out to me immediately with my reading this morning. It was like it was branded into my heart as soon as I read it. When that happens I usually know immediately that that is what God wants me to ponder or to write about. He wants me to learn something. However, this morning, I wanted to skip it, I wanted to find something feel good and more uplifting to my heart to write about. But I can’t find the words of feel good today. I am angry, I am hurt, I do not want to be diplomatic. I don’t like things the way they are. I am ready for coronavirus to go away. I want the riots to stop. I want all police officers to be good and honest and law abiding as they are supposed to be. I do not want there to be thugs who lay in wait for someone to go to a bank in the middle of the night. I wish I were the person I want to be, that did things as soon as I feel a prompting from the Holy Spirit. So I am struggling. Oh how I want to turn back the clock before Monday morning early hours and I want my friend Melissa to not go to the bank at the wee hours. I want to turn back the clock and I wish the police officer had not put his knee into George Floyds neck and left it there until he was unconscious and unresponsive and then worse. I wish this 18 year old kid who took my friends life had made a better decision and a better choice than to point a gun and decide he was going to rob someone and take her life. I don’t want people to burn down businesses and churches. I want to make the better choice. I want to be the one who points others to Christ and not to destruction. But in my anger I am really having a hard time today.
This verse says “with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged”. Oh my friends I have to realize that many times if others judged me the way I am prone to judge I would be in a sad state of affairs. I remember years ago, (wish I could put a true timeline to it) when I read that verse and got it for the first time. What measure do I use to judge? Truthfully, I am blessed, I don’t know what it is like to be hungry, not truly hungry. I don’t know what it is like to be truly poor. And most of us in America don’t. I do know grief and I do know hurt. I do know heartbreak but I don’t know yours. I pray that even in the midst of this hurt and this pain and this craziness going on in the world that I can find a little compassion for my fellow humans! I want to see others and what they feel and not just bring judgment down. I am saddened by the state of affairs. I am saddened that lives have been lost in tragic ways. I am sad and it is hard for my heart to get past it. I’m not going to lie but I pray I can be a part of the solution and not stir the problems. I want justice. I want justice for George Floyd. I want justice for Melissa. I want justice for America. But I don’t want to judge.
The definition of justice is the quality of being just; righteousness; equitableness, or moral rightness. There is no one who can say that what happened to George Floyd nor to Melissa was right or equitable or even moral. The definition of judgement is an opinion or conclusion, a decision of a court or judge, a misfortune or calamity viewed as a divine punishment. It is not my right to judge others but it is our right and our privilege as Americans to expect justice. I pray that my heart can discern the difference today.
Please pray for the educators and students today. Please pray for the families who have lost loved ones today. Please pray for me today too if you have an extra minute. And please forgive me for this rambling post today.
Restore 