Judgments serve as the catalyst for reconciliation.

November 14, 2024

When Jesus began to speak to me, He showed me how to cultivate a daily relationship with God by recognizing my judgments and bringing them to Him.

He demonstrated how my judgments about the world or other people act as a catalyst for self-awareness. They become arrows pointing inward, showing me where I am limited.

He invites me to pay attention to intense judgments that loop in my brain for hours and days—those that cause me to position myself as right or better than others while putting someone else in the wrong or less than position.

Jesus has taught me to become aware of the things or people I judge and to reflect on how I might also be exhibiting similar behaviors within myself. He invites me to ask," How am I also doing what I'm judging them for doing?

I am consistently amazed by what I uncover through this exercise. While my experience may differ from someone else's approach, I often find it manifesting in a different way or place. Each time, this realization fosters a sense of humility and contributes to my healing process.

The power lies in my ability to become the change I wish to see. I must ask myself: What am I being invited to do differently? When I judge someone for not taking a step toward God, I recognize that my path to God may also be hindered, and I take that next step for myself. By engaging in this cycle of judgment, awareness, and action, I transform into the change I believe others need to make. This process allows me to partner with God by addressing my limitations.

The goal isn't to eliminate judgment but to identify the "plank" in my own eye and work through it with Christ's power. That is the actual invitation.

Every judgment carries a hidden power. Each judgment uncovers something within me, an opportunity to heal and or shift some aspect of the way I'm trying to be in control. This concept relates to the "plank in your eye" that Jesus refers to in Matthew 7:1-6 (NIV).

Mysteriously and thankfully, Jesus has taught me the true purpose of our judgments is to luminate the fractured aspects of my inner world and to embrace my brokenness in Christ's love. As my brokenness meets love, I am renewed and my actions redirected.

I now aim to identify where I am being judgmental. It feels like a daily Easter egg hunt. Following the judgment, awareness, and action cycle enhances my spiritual journey, by offering daily integration and growth. There will always be aspects within me that need Divine love and redirection.

If you are ready to go deeper in your spiritual journey, reflect on who and what you are judging today. Explore the brokenness within yourself. It's incredible how God uses the things we resist as the key to our Divine growth and healing.

Rise (In) Shine

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Living (In) The Word

Matthew 7: 1-6 Judging Others

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³“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? ⁴How 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? ⁵You 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.

⁶“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.