Sunday 27 November 2011

Judge Not

    Mendenhall Glacier-Juneau Alaska 2009

    Judge not, lest you be judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with
    the same measure it will be measured unto you. Matthew 7: 1&2

    I remember many, many years ago a story that was told to me about a pastor who was called on
    to try to speak to two neighbors who were having a dispute. Both attended his church. While
    listening to all the ugly remarks one of the neighbors was expressing to him about the other.
    She instructed him to look out the window at her neighbor white sheets on the line. They
    weren't white, they were dingy. She didn't even know how to do laundry right!
    Next he went to the other ladies home. She was a more gracious lady. She didn't really
    understand why her neighbor had such harsh feelings towards her and didn't really know
    how to change the situation. It seemed that whatever she did her neighbor criticized it and
    jumped on it, and blew it out of proportion. The pastor stood up, went to the window to
    ponder the situation. To his surprise the dingy sheets that he had gazed upon from the window
    next door where snowey white! How could this be? He excused himself and went outside. It
    was no trick of the eye they were white! Then he looked at the next door neighbors windows.
    They were what was dingy, not the sheets. So whenever the neighbor looked out her own dirty
    window, it made the white sheets of her neighbor  appear  to be dingey.
    I hate to admit that I sometimes look out upon people or view situations through a dirty
    window. I sometimes make my own judgements and then determine a persons heart from my    
   view point. So my prayer for today is for the Lord to help me to be more long-suffering and less
   judgemental. And to give me wisdom to discern truth.
  
   Blessings, 

21 comments:

  1. I love this story Kimberly. In fact you have inspired my blessing for today...clean sheets. I pray I always look at the world through them. Have a wonderful Sunday dear friend. Patty

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  2. Oh wow. This is rich. Thank you for sharing it with us. Now, I need to go clean my "windows". :o)
    love ya, Trish

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  3. This is a great post, especially as the holidays draw near. I need a take a deep breath every once in a while and try to be more gracious. Thanks for the reminder.

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  4. Isn't that the truth? I have heard this story somewhere before and it is an amazing fact about how we sometimes view others. Great to read it here!

    Blessings to you and your family~ xo Diana

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  5. Good advice. It's true we do look at other people and the things they do through our own personal filters, so we may not always know the whole story or the true story. I liked the analogy here. :)

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  6. Unfort..been on 'both sides'. Thank you so much for this reminder. Blessings

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  7. Beautiful post!! I think we all do that at times and I will pray he will help me be a better person! Thanks for this post. Hugs.

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  8. Well said!

    My Granny used to have this saying;
    "Sweep your own back porch before you sweep your neighbors."

    liked the post, it is good to reflect on these things and even better to take them to the LORD!

    have a great day!

    Pat

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  9. Wow good read! Glad you shared that.

    Hugs!

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  10. Very good, Kimberly. I have had to ask the Lord to help me not to be critical of people many times. I have set a very high standard for myself, I am a perfectionist in many ways. But, I sometimes expect others to live up to that standard, which is ridiculous, it's God's standard that matters. Not mine.
    Thanks for this reminder.
    Love and hugs, Cindy

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  11. That is great...what a wonderful reminder and convicting at the same time...maybe I need to go clean my windows!

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  12. Very good story, It is so true.
    I wanted to be a Christian Counselor.
    We had to study this verse before we could move on in the course.
    I never could. I always was working on trying to remove the log in my own eye.
    Thanks,

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  13. This story made me stop, and clean my reading glasses.

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  14. Powerful story and very true... thank you for sharing!

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  15. This is surely something I need to work on myself. Thank you for the reminder! :)

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  16. Good morning! I have heard this story before it seems and it is just such a good analogy. It is just soo easy to do. I really do try NOT to judge as it is NEVER pleasant to be the one being judged...This was especially timely for me this morning. I need to get my windows cleaned! Have a wonderful day!

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  17. I think we all have a little of this...I don't know how the passage goes but you have a plank in your own eye!

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  18. good reminder -- I know I fall short in this,, bless your sweet heart!
    hugs

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  19. Nice post, Kimberly!

    Were you in Juneau in 2009?? I wish I had known you then - we would have given you the grand tour! You'll just have to come back some time!

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All of your comments are read and much appreciated.
You are dear and lovely friends!