Your measuring cup

Just imagine you putting the ingredients together to bake a cake; a cup of flour here and a cup of sugar there; a spoon here and a spoon there. You mix all these ingredients together according to what you want to get on the other end.

Well the Bible in Matthew 7: 1-5 tells us that we must expect the same. When we judge others: when we judge the way they look, the way they speak; when we judge harshly something about them that is un-agreeable to us; when we judge them because of what we have perceived, the Bible says we will get the same measure of judgment back.

And so if we hurt them and tear them down, expect the same. And if we bruise them and think it is okay; I encourage you to think again. Except the Bible is a lie, we WILL NOT BE ABLE to get away with such attitudes.

I always tell my children never to judge others. Yes, others might not do things exactly the same way as you would have done it. Yes, they might not have said the words exactly like you would have said it. Why should they? We are all different individuals; with different life exposures; experiences; maybe different education backgrounds; different family structures. I let my children know that there are some who live on the barest minimum, with little in the food cupboards. They have very little amount to go around for clothes and books; they cannot enlist the services of a Kumon teacher; a reading tutor; attend an after-school activity etc. There are some families that have lost a parent, thereby losing the income that would have come into the home. And there are some who live in homes where some wrong choices have been made. My true assessment is that all are living in such homes; it might just be the case that some wrong choices are masked better than others, or that some are able to turn the tide better than others. We are by no means perfect, and that is why I am certain that all homes have made wrong choices. Such choices may be different, but we are by no means always right.

And because of this fact, we have to be very cautious about the measuring cup we dish out. Life is not a plane field; it is filled with valleys and mountains. Some find their lives in the valleys; in the recess and the crevices. Should we disown them because of this? No. Some find themselves on the opposite lane of life; should we antagonize them because of this? No. I remember at church some months ago, we were contemplating feeding the poor and homeless in the downtown area. A gentleman that I know became very angry; he thought such people were bums and lazy and deserved what they got. He went red, steaming from both ears. What would Jesus do?

Once upon a time, my character indeed judged others, all because they did not match up to my ideals and preconceived notions. God had to show me the error of my ways; He showed me that I was not being fair, and due to an unnecessary standard, I was hurting others. I had to repent of this fallacy; since what right did I have to judge anyone! 

Linda Faith

Linda faith is the Editor in Chief of Jewels Magazine. She co-pastors along with her husband Revival Worship Church, Tampa. She is a prolific writer and powerful speaker, inspiring many women to be all God has called them to be. She is the founder of Joy Women’s conference which reaches out to empower, inspire and motivate women in their faith walk.