Who am I to Judge?

This week has been so crazy and yet so good!  The Lord has given so many opportunities for us to reach our students, each other, and our community.  I mean, isn’t this why we are here?  Created by God, for God?

Several times this week the Lord has spoken to my heart and allowed me to share with several people who have come my way.  I do not think you can get to be my age without having been at the feet of God and asking the question, “What lesson are you trying to teach me?”  I have been there, and I am sure will go again. My goal when arriving at His feet is to learn the lesson (hopefully the first time) and then use it to be a blessing to another. 

Case in point:  Multiple conversations have come to me this week asking me how a certain situation should be handled.  Someone feels slighted, offended, annoyed, irritated, saddened, dismissed, neglected…

I listen the best I can to try to understand how the person is feeling who is speaking to me and what they are trying to convey.  Each time this week I have responded the same… “Maybe just talk to the person or ask how you can help?”

I don’t know how your brain works, but sometimes mine can carry on a whole conversation with another person and they AREN’T EVEN THERE!  Oh, I know what I am going to say…and then they will say ________, well then I am just going to tell them…  All of this before I have even talked to them to hear their heart, get their side, know if there is even a problem!  Do you see what happened there? I made an assumption.  I judged what I thought was their intention.   

We can get so caught up in what WE think that we do not stop to consider that perhaps we are wrong or do not have all the information. 

“They must not have called me because they do not value my input or expertise”

“They must think I am a terrible parent/boss/friend/ teacher”

“They don’t trust me”

I have even had someone mad at me once because I did not ask them to help me – when in fact I was trying to be kind knowing they had so much to do I did not want to stress them even more! 

The next time you feel conflict in your heart or a negative emotion about another… maybe take a moment to think how you can approach it with a heart of understanding and a sincere desire to keep fellowship.  We don’t all think alike ( a husband and wife are great examples of that! LOL)…. but we should all believe in each other and have trust that we all want the same thing – to serve Christ and honor Him with our thoughts, words, and actions.  Let’s not fall into judging someone else’e motives…there is GOOD in our world.  We need to be ready to see it and believe in it. 
—-> Let’s love first <—– 

Michelle Woster

Administrator of Grand View Christian Academy