"Don't Judge Me!" By: Senior Blogger- Sharron M.

     It has been a little while since I last blogged.  Life has been busy with a new job, teaching, spring planting, and spring cleaning.

     As it is so happens, I was debating on a couple of thoughts on which to share.  Yesterday, sealed it.

    How many of you have heard the statement or have been told, "Don't judge me." or "I wish people wouldn't judge me."

     I don't think people know what the word, "judge" actually means.  Judge is defined as forming an opinion or conclusion about something or someone.

    Now I believe in mercy, I want mercy for myself.  But I also believe in judgement.  And I believe God will, and is judging the world by His Word.

     I believe Matthew 7:1-5 sums it all up very well.  The first verse is, "Judge not, that ye be not judged. "  A lot of people will stop right there, and use this verse as an excuse to justify themselves.  If they went on to reading, the would read the second verse, "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."

    Are you ashamed to draw your opinions or conclusions on the Bible, and let others know what they are?    If I draw conclusion or opinion about someone, based on the Bible... then the Bible gives them permission to draw their conclusion and opinion about me, if they likewise base it on the Bible.

     There is no shame on being judged by the Word.  If there is error in my life and the Word of God exposes it, it may hurt for a moment, but correction is necessary.  Hebrews 12:6-8   "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
 
     Matthew 7: 3-5 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

    Once you have examined your life and have made correction and have asked for forgiveness in your life, then you can help your brother.  And if that person is a 'brother', you will help him even if it means bringing correction.  When you bring correction, do it out of love.  If you do it with any other reason or motive, you are doing it in the wrong spirit.

     God bless you, and thank you for reading.