Today’s Scripture: “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matthew 7:1 ESV
This is a great time to remind you that these affirmations are NOT who I AM but who I desire to become. This is a rare Saturday post for me and way beyond my normal word count (sorry mom) yet I just had to share the way God spoke to me today.
I absolutely love running with God through nearby nature trails. I run with God and He works on my heart. I may have begun running for my heart now I long to run with God for my heart. There are more things in me that are blocked than arteries.
I hadn’t run but a few paces of praising God and looking around at His nature when the words clearly came to me “judge not”. Why? I have no clue as it was out of context with my praise and my mission.
Shortly thereafter I passed another lonely runner who did not return my joyful greeting. I had already made a conscious observation of the lift in his knees before he was close enough to meet eye to eye. The awareness of his gait preceded the awareness of his un-supportive response to me.
I judged. God was speaking loudly. I judged that he wasn’t very nice and also that at this stage of the path he must have been increasing his performance to impress me. A few paces further a large limb laid across the path. Again, I judged that this person cared not to remove this obstacle for others. Too busy and too angry to care, I thought.
God convicted me. I know not the cares and concerns of this stranger. Just because I have been guilty of running to impress and I find joy and service in removing obstacles along the path why would I judge the paths of others? I trust God and the Holy Spirit to work on my heart as I observe His nature. I trust it. I trust He convicted me of judging.
I also know that He convicted me of serving Him with a joyful heart and not hoping to be judged favorably from others. Just do what He and the Spirit speak into my heart. Let Him work also on the hearts of those we pass along our paths. He is at work, trust that, don’t judge it.
I also found that kicking limbs out of the way as you run along life’s paths looks a lot like skipping. When we are serving God and others without judgment or fear of judgment it looks a lot like joy. My knees were lifting high and I was running at a new pace and it wasn’t to impress others. God was lifting me and may very well have been lifting the stranger as well.
Judge not.
Today’s Prayer: Father God, Creator God, thank You. Thank You for speaking and thank You for revealing my heart. When I commit to run to You and with You I can trust that You and the Holy Spirit are at work. Forgive me for judging others. Thank You for Your grace and Your love. Please write these on my heart, mind and soul. Amen
Tom Raines
Christian Affirmations 4 Life
Love this post!! Great insight. I have thoughts like that so often–well, she must be thinking this or that to have to whatever…. Bingo. I’m judging. Thanks, Tom. 🙂
Thank you Julie, we need His help don’t we?! Praying He continues to do His work in us to peal away from scales from our eyes (or planks:). Blessings as you judge not.
WOW, what a great message, Tom! Thanks for sharing from your honest heart, and reminding me that you’re not writing these posts from a position of “having arrived”, but still becoming God’s best. I confess I do the judging thing way too much; and I had a situation this past week where God turned my judgment–which came from my impatience that day–into joyful gratitude for the gift HE brought me when someone I was expecting, showed up “late”. So I got a double lesson–“slow down on the judging, and exercise some patience–wait for ME, and you’ll see MY GOOD”. Oh, that Fabulous God!! May He bless you ever more abundantly.
Thank you Sis! Yes He is a FABULOUS God!! I am praying that more and more we can look for God in all situations and all people that will help overcome our nature. BIG Blessings! We will continue to affirm His Word for us in hopes of living more and more in His promises. They are there if we continue to turn away from ourselves and turn to Him and His light of love.! Have a glorious Saturday.
Thank you, Tom! This really spoke to me, about how I judge others, often without even thinking about it as judging. ugh. And how to just run the path and the way He asks me too, without expecting anyone else to acknowledge it or run the same way. Not sure if this applies here or not, but a friend going through many trials and hardships, finally got a chance to be alone with God and just cried and cried, able to finally grieve about all that had been happening. Her anger left and God told her that all that was happening was about Him and His dealings with her, not about the people and what they were doing. And now He wanted her dealings with others to reflect His dealings with her. Thanks again Tom , for sharing your times with Him, with us!
Great to hear from you Deb and I pray you are doing well! Thank you for your story and yes it applies…when we run to God along our individual paths we most certainly will find Him. Praying we deal with others as He would have us to and trust in His judgement! Blessings running!