Real Talk

Judging other people is not a good trait to have… this is probably pretty well known and is said all the time. To say you don’t judge people though would be a lie. We all do it at some time or another, whether it’s secretly in our minds or we verbalize it to people around us. I have found that instead of ignoring it (because you think you aren’t a person who judges other people) just accept it. Work every day at controlling it and reducing it in your life.

Over the past 6 months to a year I have had some big changes in my life. Mostly for the better, I would like to think. These changes brought about negative reactions from a lot of the people that were in my life. By negative reactions, an example would be where I would go out with friends and not act or talk a certain way, or maybe not go out at all. Then I was looked at by them as thinking I was better than everyone. I’m not too sure why exactly this thought found its way in their minds, but it did and it showed. I wouldn’t sit back and get on to anyone for what they were doing, just simply enjoy the night with a clear mind the whole time. It seemed that these changes that were taking place in my psyche and heart were offending the friends I would hang out with and be around. They assumed since I wasn’t doing the same stuff as them that I was judging them for it. Instead of asking me why I wasn’t doing these things to get the real answer, they made their own answers and reasons for it. Which actually makes me the one being judged, right? That’s not the point though. The point is, over time this started to build up these areas of gossip and mockery between friends that became hurtful. I think that I became, in the eyes of many of my friends, the one thing that I wanted to stay the farthest away from… a “typical Christian.” When I say typical Christian I’m mainly talking about the Christians who tell everyone what is sending them to hell, and why they think all others are going to hell for not believing the same thing as them. I think that I was automatically put in this boat because of the changes taking place in my life. I’ve never given any reason to be put in this group of “typical Christians” as I keep referring to them as. It just happened… and I can’t say that I blame anyone for thinking that way, mainly because so many people have a tuff time showing Jesus in and through their life in the right way. They have a distorted and disillusioned view of who Christ is and what He is about. The best way in my opinion to show this instead of saying negative, hateful, and judgmental things to others is to just simply show love… God is Love, Jesus is Love… To be a follower of Jesus is to be a follower of Love. Seems pretty simple right?

It should be but since so many in the past have dropped the ball with this it isn’t that simple. Christians have been put in the group of being a judgmental and hypocritical type of people. Instead of working on our own lives and trying to live with pure and honest hearts, we look at everyone else’s faults; look down on everyone’s “sinful” ways with the attitude that we as Christians are perfect when we are not. It is a hard enough struggle to live 1 life, why try and live others too? We just need to focus in on setting ourselves strait, living in the same tune with God. I believe it was a guy named Paul who said to “live by the Spirit.” Show Love, Be Love.