I recently read a blog posting on a "rabbit trail" in which a woman stood loud, tall and assertive on a soap box of her own making. Her issue? Cheating. Infidelity. Adultery. Homewrecking. She had some very strong opinions about the practice, and choice words to describe the person who would dare to do such a thing.She continued on at great length about how many people are flattened by this crime against the family, how deep the pain and how far-reaching the devastation. She was impassioned about it. This had been a reality in her family when she was the child; and perhaps as an adult it was perpetrated on her directly -- I'm not sure.
What I am sure about is that she set the bar very high. She drew a distinct line in the sand and effectively called the other side, "sin." In short, she judged. And I believe her judgment was sound. Adultery is sinful and the Lord makes that quite clear in His Word. The measure by which she judged was very long and deep and hard. The "rub" comes with the second half of the verse where we're cautioned to be prepared to be judged by the same measure with which we have judged. When her measuring stick called NO CHEATING! was held up to herself, she fell pretty short.
After all, she was an unrepentant and unwed mother -- an admitted fornicater who was boastfully living with her boyfriend. And to exacerbate the issue, she was a woman whose attire was scant and posturings in blog photos was somewhat provacative. So, she was not helpful to the men around her who should not be looking, lusting or coveting so as not to cheat, which...of course...was her soapbox from the start.
So I will be prepared to, myself, live up to any standards or judgments that I think the Lord calls me to before I dare to set the standard or make the judgment. The scariest thing about such a statement is the realization that I must have blind spots. It would seem that everyone does. And since these issues are...well, in my "blind spot," I can't see them. Maybe that's what friends are for. Maybe that's what the bible really means when it exhorts us to bear one another's burdens...
Maybe I'll write what I think about that later this week.
5 comments:
GB, How many times have I seen someone blog about someone else being judgemental and end up being judgemental themselves! I've been known to do it myself. You did a great job of turning this back home. I am proud of you. This is such a huge commitment you are making because so often we don't even realize we are setting that standard of measure. Making judgements one way or another sometimes just happens without our realizing it. For you to submit to that same standard is admirable. What a great example you are to your girls...and to those who read your blog!:-)
It amazes me how many times God reminds me as I APPROACH my soapbox..."ALL HAVE SINNED and fallen short of the Glory of God!"
I agree with Joy, how wonderful that you see and don't walk that way!
Excellent post there Grafted Branch, I am someone who has problems with judging, and it's really easy to to.
Wow... quite a post.
Hi, nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by and visiting my blog recently. Come by anytime.
It's always good to be reminded that we will be judged, just as we judge ourselves. Sometimes I get a little too big for my britches and forget to leave the judging up to our Lord. Great Post!
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