May 9 – They Are Lazy!
3:130 – They Are Lazy!

#faithbites #faithjourney lazy

Yesterday I posted a meme about shopping carts and the “obligation” to out them back when you are done. One person said they do it almost every time and the one time they didn’t, because of mitigating circumstances, they were ridiculed. Another said he goes out of his way to get rogue carts because some people are lazy. And that we shouldn’t feed the lazy as they will become dependent.

As I got to thinking about it, we may judgement calls all the time. That lazy person who didn’t return their cart, may have a bad back or a so dreaming kid in the car. The lazy person who isn’t working and seems to be taking a break while others are working just got debilitating news or his suffering from an unseen illness. The truth is we don’t know. When we make judgements with little to no facts, we are damaging potential relationships and luring ourselves into a false sense of superiority.

Scripture
  • Matthew 7:1-5 – Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
  • James 4:11-12 – Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.
Reflection

God is the only judge, jury, and execution. He determined who is saved and who isn’t. Through Christ we can all be saved.

When we judge, we are using our very limited knowledge against a life of experiences and situations we don’t know. Some may be right judgements, others, as is often the case of calling someone lazy, isn’t. My grandmother once told me that if I hung up all my problems on a clothes line and everyone else hung up theirs, I would chose mine. Likewise, I don’t think I would want to be judged in the way I’ve judged others.

So next time, refrain from the judgement. See the person as a person, and not a label. You may learn something.

Challenge

Have you recently made a judgement against someone? Do you know if it was just? Did that judgement help you or anyone improve? Next time, think about the person, rather than. The actions. You might have a different perspective.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are our judge and jury. Let us be righteous in your eyes. When we fail, forgive us. When others fail us, let us forgive as you do. We don’t know the ins and outs of everyone. Only you do. Remind us of that as we go about our lives and try to emulate you. In your name, Amen

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