Hey
there! Today we have another fun little guest post from the lovely and
talented Hannah Bryant. She was with us back in November, and she's back with some wise words to share with you. Won't you give her a bit of blog love?
I’ve
done it, you’ve done it and it’s been done to us. Judging.
“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.” Matthew 7:1-2
I
had a large decision to make in my life and I literally spent months praying,
seeking God, journaling, fasting, digesting scripture and having others
unbeknownst to them affirming my decision.
So
when I came to the point of jumping out in faith, I felt I was in the right
place and doing the right thing according to His plan for my life.
Someone
had heard about the choice I had made through the grapevine and decided to
write a very lengthy email about what they had heard. The language was direct
as they wrote “I was outside the will of God and He will take His anointing off
me.” They expressed disappointment and used passed information about me,
against me.
Now
I am very, very open, to having people speak into my life, to coach and refine
me as I want to always be changing and growing in Jesus, but I was slightly
baffled by this as I hadn’t spoken to this person in over twelve months. They
didn’t ask a single question about my decision but were happy to shoot bullets
into my heart. The only reply I could give at that point was to write “Thanks
for your thoughts. Bless you.” That was it.
I
have also been that person shooting the judgement. So I know that I had to
apply grace to this person, forgive, ask myself some hard questions, revisit
motives, restore inaccuracy with Godly truth and move on…I have.
A
lot of the time, we make judgements on one another without having the whole
story. We fill in blanks with limited information, make assumptions and place
our own bias on a situation.
We
look at the outward appearance of a situation and a person which generally
brings us to an inaccurate conclusion.
When
we speak into another persons life, we must make sure that we have spent time
seeking God, asking for His wisdom and insight, so we can abandon our own
opinion to then speak truth. We must have a pure motivation when
coaching others, the delivery must be done with kindness, gentleness and
with love. We must also ask them loads of questions so we can get insight
into their world and hear their story unfold. You just might have your
questions answered so you become more gentle and grace filled.
As
servant girls, we fight judging others, there is something in our DNA which we
must stand against so unity and acceptance surrounds our relationships. This
disarms tension and allows our sisters to flourish in their God-given
uniqueness and beauty.
When
we decide to become someone else’s judge, by what standard are we making those
judgements?
“Criticism
leaves you with the flattering unction that you are a superior person.” (Oswald Chambers
Our Upmost For His Highest)
We
need to be very careful of our thoughts and words. God sees the heart and knows
exactly what’s going on. Judging is dangerous as we all have planks in our own
eyes.
A
woman who is at rest with herself accepts her position in Christ. She
understands there is nothing to prove to onlookers. She knows her strengths and
can cheer her sister’s on with a pure heart. She shines brightly as her words
are seasoned with kindness, goodness and grace. She is peaceful and can edify others
with ease as she is secure in her Fathers love.
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