This morning the Tuesday morning Bible study I co-teach visited the ministry Changed Choices. Changed Choices works with women who are either currently incarcerated, just released or in a halfway house. One of the things I love most about this ministry is that Christians actually doing ministry. Our call is to be the hands and feet of Christ in world however, we often get so caught up in judgment that we forget this call. It's so sad because we're missing out on the blessing of service. Serving others is one of the few ways we can show our gratitude to God. The crazy part is that when we begin serving others, we are the ones who are filled.
When I first began attending Church at Charlotte over three years ago the pastor said something that has stuck with me since. I remember him warning against looking down our nose at others because if not for the grace of God we would be that person. His charge was for us to picture the most vial, detestable human being, a person who has done unimaginable harm to others. Then, he said: without God, that would be you. We are all capable of the most horrific acts but we are fortunate. This was such a humbling moment for me. Even now, I stop before I comment on what someone is doing, a criminal act I overhear on the news, even the way people are raising their children. Who I am to judge? What if someone took a good hard look at my life and started passing judgment. I'd be in huge trouble then.
This is something I have to keep coming back to. Everyday I'm tempted to judge the life choices made others. I'm tempted to believe that I'm somehow better than others because of my beliefs, my lifestyle, my choices. And everyday I need to remind myself that it was not me, but Him.
1 comment:
One of my favorite quotes from the book "The Noticer" is 'we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions''. Thanks for more thought food,
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