Judge me

I have come to the realization over the past month or so that I am rather fond of judgement.  Not judgement in a way that we normally think of judgment (which is often very close if not actually condemnation), but judgment in the sense of truth revealing.

Often we as believers are busy judging people based on whatever "truth" we may see.  Unfortunately, that "truth" is often far from real truth.  I could get in and discuss that, but that is not really why I am writing.

I am writing because I believe I need to be judged.  I need people who know me to look at my life and show me the areas that I might be missing the truth or struggling to do what God wants.  Take note, I said people that know me.

I can use my wife as a perfect example of this.  I don't know how many times we have been in the middle of a conversation and she has said something out of love that let me know her view on the subject while revealing the truth of the situation.  She knows me, she has a relationship with me, she has permission to judge me so that I might become a better follower of Christ and be a stronger reflection of him. 

I think back a few months ago and remember an email I sent to a couple friends.  They didn't fully understand the situation that I presented them with, but took the time to listen to at least my side of the story.  I begged them to tell me I was wrong in the situation.  I was very upset and needed someone who knew the heart of God and could see His truth to reveal my shortcomings.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I was begging to be judged.  Better yet, after they had judged me and revealed to me in love, that I still had something things to consider in the situation, more of God's truth was revealed.  They didn't condemn me, rather they judged me the way God wants us to judge each other.

We are designed to help each other see the truth.  No one man (or woman) can know all of who God is.  We are called to a life long relationship with God and to get to know more of Him.  If we gather together and get to know one another then our ability to understand who God is, becomes so much greater.

I often wish I could get a glimpse of what the early church really looked like.  So many of us think we know, but in our culture I believe we have very little understanding of how important the brothers and sisters in Christ were to each other.  They were each others family.

I would challenge you to find someone that you trust and you know has a strong relationship with God and allow them into your life to walk along side you and provide you with the judgment that you need.

Judgment often gets a bad rap, but I believe that God intended it for good, while satan intends to use it for evil.  It's just one more way he ties to divide those who long to know God.