“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5 (Also Luke 6:41-42)
Whenever there's a change in cabin pressure on an airplane, you're told to secure your oxygen mask before you try to help someone else. A lot of us would rather down and talk about others because we don't want to deal with what's happening in our own lives. Because we feel like if we were in their position, we could live their lives better than they can. Because we think of our shortcomings as "not that bad" but what "they" are doing is soooo much worse. Because we feel the need to talk down on others so we don't feel so bad about our own lives or have to deal with what's going on in our lives. Because we think we are doing life better. Because...we suck.
We talk about how much we love God but we mistreat His people & still think we are serving Him. Do we really think about the consequences & repayment when we put our mouths on others? Do we really think about what others are going through before we judge their walk? Or do we want ourselves & others to think our walk has always been perfect? Because that's a lie. Stop it. We will be humbled. We will be exposed. We will be judged in the same harsh manner that we judge others. And it doesn't matter whether or not others know how bad we talk about them, WE will be held accountable. No fine print. No do-overs.
When we are born, we are promised trouble. It's a given so why add to it? We must help our neighbor like someone helped us. And if we can't help them then the least that we can do is not hinder them from receiving help elsewhere. I've never understood the attitudes from people that don't currently need help towards those that do. It's as if they've NEVER needed help & have always had their lives together. If you've never needed help ever in life, my hat's off to you. You are an enigma. But for the rest of us, we are all one bad decision, paycheck, emergency and/or life event away from a different life. Remember that. We must humble ourselves. Openly practice to humbling ourselves. If we don't, life will surely do it for us.
This is something I wish we'd practice more and not just at drive-thrus. But we seem, as a whole, to be too busy monitoring how much or how little others are doing, as a measurement of how much or how little we should be doing. Kind deeds go so very far and are remembered long after they're done. If only we could help each other without keeping track...wishful thinking. But, I wish it would go viral. Imagine that. Viral, infectious kindness. Oh, what a world it would be!!
Only God Can Judge Me. This is usually a response to something we've done and we know we are wrong for it but we don't want anyone to call us on it.
Only God Can Judge Me. Instead of admitting our faults, our wrongs, our misdeeds, we'd rather haphazardly throw out some cliche to minimize the attention and eventual fallout.
Only God Can Judge Me.
We would just rather dismiss the notion of the effects that our careless decisions have on others and "lovingly" remind them that whatever it is, it's not that bad and others have done worse.
But Pac said...
Listen again. I know what Pac said. But did YOU really listen?
I've been trapped since birth, cautious ‘cause I'm cursed And fantasies of my family in a hearse And they say it's the White man I should fear But it's my own kind doin' all the killin' here I can't lie, ain't no love for the other side Jealousy inside, make 'em wish I died Oh my Lord, tell me what I'm livin' for Everybody's droppin', got me knockin' on Heaven's door And all my memories of seein' brothers bleed And everybody grieves, but still nobody sees Recollect your thoughts, don't get caught up in the mix
Only God Can Judge Me.
"Black Power!" is what we scream
As we dream in a paranoid state
And our fate is a lifetime of hate
Dear Mama, can you save me? And fuck peace
‘Cause the streets got our babies, we gotta eat
No more hesitation, each and every black male's trapped
And they wonder why we suicidal running 'round strapped
Mr. Police, please try to see
That there's a million motherfuckers stressin' just like me
‘Cause the media is full of dirty tricks
(these are only partial lyrics)
This song isn't a justification for fuckedupness. Yes, I just made that up but it felt right. It's a call to change. It's a wake-up call. It's saying this is what's going on and it seems to be getting worse and I don't know how to deal with it. And it's only going to get worse.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Change while you still have time. Change for yourself. Trying to make a huge change or attempting to change several things at once will overwhelm you and eventually cause you to give up. But with discipline and determination, anything is possible. Start with something small and go from there. Be consistent with it. As long as we live, we will evolve and grow. Embrace that.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Apologize while they can still hear. Make the call. Right your wrongs. Seek counseling/therapy/help. Get an accountability partner. It's hard enough navigating this cold world with people. Imagine doing it alone or feeling like your only option is to do it alone. You don't have to be.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Yes. Not what others have done to you, not what made you react the way that you did.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Yes. He can.
And He will.
‘Cause the media is full of dirty tricks
(these are only partial lyrics)
This song isn't a justification for fuckedupness. Yes, I just made that up but it felt right. It's a call to change. It's a wake-up call. It's saying this is what's going on and it seems to be getting worse and I don't know how to deal with it. And it's only going to get worse.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Change while you still have time. Change for yourself. Trying to make a huge change or attempting to change several things at once will overwhelm you and eventually cause you to give up. But with discipline and determination, anything is possible. Start with something small and go from there. Be consistent with it. As long as we live, we will evolve and grow. Embrace that.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Apologize while they can still hear. Make the call. Right your wrongs. Seek counseling/therapy/help. Get an accountability partner. It's hard enough navigating this cold world with people. Imagine doing it alone or feeling like your only option is to do it alone. You don't have to be.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Yes. Not what others have done to you, not what made you react the way that you did.
Only God Can Judge Me.
Yes. He can.
And He will.
