one of the {free} few

Give without expectation has not been the only pertinent and life-giving message I've been learning from Luke 6.  There is another, a personal pet peeve but also a personal major temptation...Do not judge, do not condemn.  (Luke 6:37)

As Christ followers, I often see this coming to fruition through judging what God would WANT others to be doing, how HE would want them to be doing it, where HE would want them to be.  I easily fall into this trap of disguised judgement.  

It's STILL judging...It's me deciding what God would want others to do, and evaluating how they are falling short of that...when HE is the judge.

Now, obviously, calling sin SIN is not the same as judging.  God has already laid out what sin is.  He has judged already, and we are to uphold in one another the truth.

For example, to lie is a sin.  Colossians 3:9 (and dozens of others) says clearly, "do not lie to each other."  

We are commanded over and over in Scripture to admonish one another in love when we see a friend stumble or disobey.  To, in love and with the heart of Jesus, talk to a friend about their deviation from the truth, is Scriptural and necessary in the Body.

But judgment is a different thing.  While I'm seeing it take place in such upright settings and in such godly ways, as I'm asking the Spirit to show me sin in my life (this Killing Sin book is really stretching me!) I'm starting to wonder if some of my ways I've been holding on to as "what God wants" are actually just judgments, disguised.

Let me give you an example from my own life.

Around this time last year, a man we had met once or twice contacted us, sharing that he and his wife and kids were praying about moving to Haiti full time.  They asked for advice and counsel.  

Quite sagely, I shared with them our joy over hearing about their experience of His call, and advised them to be patient, go slow, take all the "right" steps (which, coincidentally, were all the same steps WE had taken in coming to the mission field), expect delays and discouragement, and that hopefully we'd see them in about 2 years (which also coincidentally, was of course how long it took US to get to the field.)

They sweetly shared their understanding, but noted that they truly felt that God was asking them to come NOW, and that He had clearly opened a lot of doors for this to be a possibility.  

Like, they wanted to move to Haiti with their family in 3 months, coming independently without a major sending organization, etc.  

I shared again my very "godly" advice, and may have said something very nicely about their courage that may have actually meant, you're nuts.  There is NO way that's the thing to do.

I knew that no matter what they felt God was telling and equipping and leading THEM to, that was NOT how God had led and equipped us, so...I judged their situation through MY lens, and felt them WRONG.

They weren't sinning.  I wasn't admonishing them of their sin.  They were feeling God's voice telling them differently than I had, so I judged them as being wrong.  

Instead of trusting God to lead their lives, and trusting THEM to be stepping out on their faith in His call for their lives and GETTING BEHIND THEM, I was, though silently, though sweetly, an obstacle by my judgement.

We've seen many other examples of this since Matt has been named President at Emmaus.  He is TOO young, it has very nicely been shared countless times.  It is too big a job.  He is TOO intelligent for this position, squandering his God-given brilliant brain in a dirt village in a non-influential country.  He is not intelligent enough.  Only someone with 50 years of pastoral experience could take on such a job.  Is he even ordained?  He's too Haitian.  He's not Haitian enough.  This position is far too stressful.  It's not what he originally came here to do.  He doesn't even like to wear suits! 

The list of "godly encouragement" goes on and on.

But IS it?  Frankly, "help" like this has felt a lot more DIScouraging.  Matt accepted the appointment after months (MONTHS) of prayers, study, wise council, laying awake at night with the Lord, fasting, reading, searching.  There was NO WAY he was going to step into a position such as this if it was not UNDENIABLY the next step that God had for him.  No chance.

And in the end, he felt confident that despite his millions of reasons why he wasn't the man for the job or wasn't qualified for the job, that he was chosen and qualified in CHRIST to take it...felt certain that it would be His power perfected in Matt's weakness, felt sure that this was indeed what God had for him right now.

And though many people's judgement of the situation has been given with very pure hearts, very loving minds, very good motives...it has often times been a heavy weight for Matt, often times feels more like judgement.


This is what He is convicting in me:  When I judge a situation, another's behavior or other's daily choices through MY lens, I am STILL actually saying that perhaps I do NOT fully trust Him.

I didn't fully TRUST God in His call of Mark and Sarah.  He was either making a mistake, or they were.  I don't fully TRUST that God is GOD of such-and-such situation.  Didn't fully trust that He can handle the situation, that He will prevail, or that He will conquer. 

Here it is:  
How often in my life do I huddle in a my tent 
WITH God's chosen people, 
thoughtfully judging a situation
circulating my "God-given" wisdom
sharing my experiences of battle
and spouting loving common sense...
"DAVID IS TOO LITTLE TO FIGHT GOLIATH!"  

That Moses is too tongue-tied to approach Pharaoh?  
That John is too smelly to prepare the Way?  
That Judas was a sketchy choice of a friend? 
That Jesus was too poor, unimportant, plain and humble to be King and Rescuer of the World?

It was the FEW, the very few, who trusted God--and when there was a contradiction--ignored the "godly advice" of others who did SUCH GREAT THINGS before God.  

It still IS.  It IS the very few who trust in God and ignore the judgements of others who often do great things for God.

And not ONLY do I want to be one of those few, but I ALSO want to be one of those who ENCOURAGES others to do the same. 

 To listen to His voice and to follow it with all their strength and hearts.  To GET BEHIND those He is calling (even if He didn't personally share His call on THEIR lives with ME) and be wind in their sails and sweet ointment on their heads...not a thorn in their sides, a discouragement in their journeys, not a bitterness to their bite.

To do this, I've GOT to learn to remove MYSELF from my assessment of situations, to remove myself completely.  To remove my judgement.  Not judging, not condemning.  And to TRUST, not necessarily in the person, but to trust GOD to prevail in the situation, and to ask HIM to use ME as an encourager of His sovereignty. 

It means asking Him to take EVERY thought captive, because if you're like me, it's easy to judge anything and everything all day, from others schedules to their speech to their children to their diets to their countenance to their moods to their choices to their movies to their comments to their glances.

It means deliberately and mentally fleeing the MOMENT I catch myself judging....and choose to TRUST HIM instead.

To help, I've been trying to apologize each time I dwell in judgement, even if the person NEVER knew I was...that's good encouragement to flee from the sin of judging and condemning!  

(SO, Sarah! (I know you're reading this :) God gave me such a chance to trust in HIS will for your lives and to be nothing but support for you because of that...and I wasn't.  I leaned on my OWN understanding and experiences and not on HIS.  I'm SORRY!  

I am SO thankful you are here and so grateful for your friendship, and so thankful that you had the courage to go where and how He was sending instead of listening to the voice of man.  We love your family...)

He knows best.  He knows judging isn't LOVE for others, and He also knows it ISN'T good for ME.  Jesus didn't only die because of the 'bad stuff' I do, but also died to make me free, sweet free, of the burdens and bondage of sin.  

Praise the Lord...I'm still a work in progress...a work He hasn't quit yet.


Note: I hope I haven't upset anyone by this.  If so, that is not at all my intention...only to share what I see Him working on in my heart.  I pray it is, instead, an encouragement to you in your progress-journey with Christ!  As always, give grace, take what is meat and throw the rest out as foolishness.  I love you!