If we all wore sticky notes...

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 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

Countless times I have heard and even started conversations with, “No judgement, but…” If this is how you are starting a sentence, may I say that there is definitely judgement. Please know I am certainly speaking to myself. I felt like I had conquered the sin of gossip but it seems that it has morphed into judgement. The Lord warns us in Matthew that if we judge others, we will be judged and it will be done with the same measurement with which we judge.

The past two years I have found myself in darkness. This is a darkness that can only come from Satan. It has been riddled with sin, deceitfulness, betrayal, the whole gamut. As I am coming out of the darkness, I have been convicted with compassion for others that I have seen go through similar darkness or that will go through it in the future. I know full well why and how I found myself in such a pit but others do not know my story as there is much shame associated with it. What occurred to me is that this is true for others and why it is written that we shall not judge. People do not walk around with a sticky note on their head justifying their actions, their words, their faults, their flaws. Wouldn’t it be easier if they did? Wouldn’t we then pour on a full dose of compassion and empathy if we could see the reasons for their actions? The yellow sticky might read: neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or physical abuse, divorce, or maybe betrayal. If we knew the depths of people’s past, we would freely give grace and mercy to others.

But God...God sees their sticky note. He knows their heart, he knows their “why” and he is therefore gracious and merciful. He sees my sticky note. He knows how I wound up in the pit and he doesn’t judge me but many would and quite possibly will as I tell my story.

You cannot know a person’s journey, their past, or their present and this is why the Lord warned us about judging others. “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 7:3-5

As the Lord has pulled me out of my darkness, out of my pit of sin, I come out anew. I come out plank removed with new eyes to see my brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those who have yet to find Him.

The Lord knew that if we could see others past that we would offer them grace and thus expects us to be obedient and follow his command, “Do not judge…” We are called to live this out as it is written without explanation, without knowing, without seeing their sticky note.