Same lesson... again

I was recently sitting in a room full of fellow believers and we were given the chance to offer up praises to God. Everyone had their eyes closed. The room was quiet.  Slowly a few of those in the room began to speak, short sentence prayers of praise and gratitude to the God of the universe. 


After experiencing all that I have over the past year, my heart was full of gratitude for all that God has taught me, for the new level of intimacy that I have come to know with Him, for the fact that I am alive today and all the thousands of blessings and miracles that come with each new morning.


Much to my surprise, only about half of the people in the room actually voiced a prayer of praise that day. Only half could come up with one short sentence to glorify the God who gave everything for us. Only half had the courage to speak what surely must have been in their hearts. After experiencing all that I have over the past year, I also find that, at times, my heart is full of anger. This was one of those days. 


In a new sort of way, I felt fiercely protective of my Savior. I was shocked by the fact that praise and adoration wasn't flowing out of the mouths of everyone in the room! I wanted to run to Jesus and apologize, "I'm sorry! They don't mean to hurt you!" I wanted to scream out at everyone, "Don't you know Him? Don't you see Him? He is all we have! He is everything! Where is your praise? Where is your heart?"


Then God gently reminded me, "Don't judge. They haven't walked your road. They haven't had the experiences you've had. They haven't been where you've been. Their life is not your life. I am teaching them. I am leading them. Don't judge." 


And there it is. The same lesson... again. 


"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone..." John 8:7


"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor." Matthew 7:1-5

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37