Judge Them Not

"Don't judge me, because I sin differently than you."

I've seen this quote a lot, just within the past week alone. Makes you think, right?

We all do wrong, whether in secret or out in the open. Some of us (definitely including me) are blessed that our secret sins weren't exposed for all the world to see. We are blessed that God exposed them to us, and that He granted us grace and another chance to fix what was broken.

It's truly amazing how we can see the flaws clear as day in someone else, but when the mirror is turned back on us...what then? It's crazy how we get entertained by judging, gossiping, talking about others behind their backs....whatever you want to call it. We all do it...don't act too innocent.

I had a check in my spirit earlier today, and I'm still "wow'd" over it...ashamed really.

I found out on Facebook that another young person I know is expecting a baby, and she's not married, and "oh no, there goes another one...another statistic." PAUSE.

Who do I think I am?

I was her age once...with certain feelings for the opposite sex. I did my share of sneaking around, all while still a faithful member of my church. I tested God's grace way too many times to count, all the while thinking that I could just ask for forgiveness each time and continue doing wrong things contrary to His word.

The only difference between me and her was that I didn't get caught. That's probably a lot of our testimonies, if we would be honest with ourselves.

I say all this to say....


Remember we all have flaws, and not all of our flaws are the same (or even similar). Instead of looking someone up and down in judgement by the flaws we see on them outwardly, we should take the time to pray for them more than we talk about them. I mean, who made you God? That's clearly His job.

Condemnation

"My levees' are broken
My walls are coming down on me
My rain is falling
Defeat is calling
I need you to set me free
Take me far away from the battle
I need you
Shine on me!

I look to you,
I look to you
After all my strength is gone
In you I can be strong
I look to you,
I look to you
And when melodies are gone In you I hear a song
I look to you"

I was listening to this song earlier. I don't remember how I got to it but I was on Youtube and after clicking enough of the "Related Videos" from my initial search, I came across this song. For those who don't know, this is Whitney Houston's song "I look to you." And the more I listened to it, the sadder I became.

When I think about Whitney Houston, her gifts, life, talent, death etc., I think about how many people condemned her. On Facebook there were either one of two things. Either people were talking about how sad they were OR they were condemning her, talking about her lifestyle, drug addiction, etc. One of the things that bugged me was someone saying "If she REALLY loved God she wouldn't have been living ungodly!"Ungodliness is anything that is not godly right? In that category would include lying, gossiping, envy, doubt, fear, the list can go on and on. Being in need of deliverance doesn't disqualify a person from being a Christian. FYI

I truly believe she loved the Lord. I'm not justifying any decision that she made at all but if we're talking about being Godly, when does Jesus ever say that we are to condemn others?  I'm sure we all can admit, at some point we've found ourselves in situations that reeled us in and put us in a position that required deliverance. When looking at the lyrics of this song, she was crying out for help just like so many people are. I come across so many people who turned away from God/church because they were condemned instead of loved.

It bothers me when people can so quickly turn the finger and condemn others once they've already fallen and hit the bottom but so many don't pray and uplift them while they're still in the air. Whitney Houston was just an example I wanted to use to express the importance of intercession as it pertains to people we know and people we don't know. "So and so did this ungody thing, said this ungodly thing, is acting this ungodly way, talking this ungodly stuff" Ok so he/she is operating in their human sinful nature. So how many times have you prayed for them, fasted for them or encouraged them?

We have to love each other! Not only love one another but be reflections of God's love. Otherwise, we will lose people to the enemy. As Christians we are a physical representation of God. I saw a quote a while back that said "I wish I had met Christ before I met a Christian." And honestly, Christians can be the most judgmental and condemning people. When we see a person operating in any spirit other the the Spirit of God, we need to intercede on their behalf and not send them straight to hell.

I prayed to God a while back that He would help me become a woman of prayer. That He would put the desire in my heart to pray more and He did. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes to pray for people I don't even know. Sounds crazy probably but so many people are in need of prayer that God may give me a name of someone who is in need. God knows their name and their need so I just allow the Holy Spirit to use me as a vessel.

I was raised by powerful anointed women of God who prayed and prayed and prayed. I've had that example my whole life. But it wasn't until God showed me the desperate need of love in the world that I began to understand why it is so important.

When a person loves God but is living a lifestyle other that how God wants them to, when a person has turned away from God and strayed from what they know as the Truth, or when a person doesn't believe in God at all, PRAY and PRAY and PRAY again. There's no need to gossip and complain or judge and condemn. There's no need to tell others about it, just pray uplift and encourage. God revealed it to YOU so there's no need to expose it to others. I am where I am because there were people praying for ME because I know at one point I was caught up in a place that you would think I didn't know God let alone love Him.

 In order for us to be who we are called to be in Christ, we have to love people. We can't walk out in who God has created us to be if we can't accept and love others in the same way that the prodigal father accepted and loved his prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-31)

You Can Be Bitter Or...

You can be bitter about events that play out in your life, or you could use those very things to make you better.

You can choose to have a nasty attitude when things don't go your way, or you could be thankful that you're still a necessary ingredient for this Earth.

You can allow yourself to get worked up over simple things that don't even matter, or just  b r e a t h e and trust that GOD (who knows all things) will work everything out for your good.


You can live in unforgiveness and hold grudges all day long. And you might actually think you're doing something by hardening your heart. But in reality, the other person isn't moved by your reactions to their piercing actions. They have moved on with life, and are sleeping peacefully at night.

I may sound like Tyler Perry when I say, "Forgiveness isn't for the other person; it's for you." But it's all biblical.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part." Matthew 6:15 (Message)


Don't hold up your own blessings. You most certainly will get hurt in this life; it's just necessary to the flow of things. Everything can't be sunshine, rainbows, and ice cream all day/everyday. You will have low and lonely moments, but these are the defining junctures that set you up for a comeback. In the end, [if you're living right] your good days will outweigh your bad days.


And there's your encouragement of the day!


On the same note....


I was craving some chicken tortilla soup from Chick-fil-A today, despite the summery 70 degree weather. Have you tried it? That stuff is the bomb.com! Anyways, I go in the drive-thru and I get to see a few of my co-workers. Everyone's happy to see me, I get my soup (and I even check the bag), and I drive all the way home. I prepare to eat my soup out on the deck since it's SOO nice outside, only to find out that they gave me the wrong soup...chicken noodle! Really?! I contemplated on whether I should drive back up there or just be satisfied with what I got. And.....I wasn't satisfied, since I really really wanted that tortilla one! Bottom line, I got to get the soup I paid for and keep the other soup. I don't know about you, but I saw it as a blessing in disguise. God knew I would be hungry! Because He knows I'm a hungry and growing girl....yes growing! Haha!

Day 29: My Thankful

I'm thankful for all of life's little lessons.

I'm thankful for the power of forgiveness.

I'm thankful that the fall semester is almost over, and I'm praying that I have at least a C in all my classes so I don't have to repeat the madness!

I'm thankful that God always provides for each and every one of my needs (including all things small and insignificant), as well as many of my wants. And of course, He manages to throw in a few unexpected surprises too! Gotta love Him! =)

Day 13: My Thankful

I'm thankful for God's forgiveness, grace, and mercy. I'm thankful that He's never given up on me, despite my seemingly evil ways and sinful habits.

I'm thankful for Living Single! I'm definitely Sinclair (far right). A marathon of that kept me entertained while I skipped class. Whoops! We all have those days. Don't trip. lol

I'm thankful for a pretty chill day, no stress.

I'm thankful that Thanksgiving is next week!! No school for a few days, the bro will be home, and I will be putting my feet in a few dishes. Ha!

I'm thankful that I'm in my right mind, and that I am not depressed.

I'm thankful for the plans God has for all of our lives. Don't forget that He hasn't forgotten about YOU!

Keep Your Stank Attitude Away From Me, Thanks!

Fill in the blank.  "Life is too short to be______." 

My answer: mad. You're wasting precious time when you sit around being mad at someone for whatever reason.  Can we just AGREE to disagree at times? No need to make a scene. Just breathe and keep it moving. 

I hate when someone is visibly mad at me, and they're not saying anything. (Didn't I just talk about the silent treatment earlier this week?? Yea, that's neither sexy nor cool. Get right! lol) It's like, seriously? I'm feeling pretty good now. You wanna be stank and mess up my giddiness and my flow? Please exit, because I don't want any of that to rub off on me.

Now, we all get moody and have our days. But when you're moody, you need to just keep to yourself. If someone asks what's wrong, though, don't snap. Just talk...no more silent treatment. Talking to someone nearly always helps to bring me quickly out of a funk.

I've been thinking about how I acted in my previous relationship when I was mad or annoyed with him.  I would pout and ALWAYS do the silent treatment---making him try to figure me out.  He would ask what was wrong, and I would just continue to be mad and say, "Nothing," because I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to let him off the hook for whatever he just annoyed me with. I wanted to be mad, because it was the typical thing to do when someone upset you. How often do you argue with someone, quickly apologize (or just talk calmly about the situation), and just get back to "normal" without all that unnecessary tension? Probably not nearly as much as you should.

A lot of people just hold grudges for a day or two, weeks, months, and even years. Let it go. You're wasting time, like I said before.  Quickly forgive, and N E V E R go to bed mad. Make sure you're cool with all your loved ones. No tension, uncertainty, etc. at all. Life is short, and you don't want any regrets lurking in the back of your mind when it's too late.

With that said, PLEASE keep your stank attitude away from me, THANKS! You will not bring me down to your level. Life is really looking up for me right now. I'm being presented with new opportunities that I didn't even know existed on my behalf, and I don't have time to entertain mood swings. 

Don't get me wrong, I am very sensitive of others' feelings (even when it doesn't seem like it haha). However, I also realize that negative feelings and vibes can transfer to someone else. And, sorry but I'm not tryin to catch that! haha...Have a good night! :-)