“Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” —James 4:11-12

Last week, I shared how I was intimidated to make the Knitted Knockers. I made a snap judgement looking at them and the pattern. I concluded that only “good knitters” could make them and it was above my skill level. Honestly, I am guilty of jumping to conclusions with more than knitting patterns. I was so convicted about this from the Romans Bible study lesson I did this week, that I knew I needed to write about it. 

It is easy to form an opinion about someone or something as an outsider, but how would my life change if rather than be quick to judge that person that I prayed for them instead? In lieu of being irritated with the driver of the car behind me because I am going too “slow," why not lift them up in prayer. “Lord, I don’t know why they are in such a rush, but you do, I ask that you slow them down so they or anyone else doesn’t get hurt.” Trust me, my first instinct is not to pray for them but to say, "Where are the police giving tickets for someone like this????"

When a solicitor calls you, what would happen if instead of hanging up on them, you listened to their voice and politely, replied, "I'm not interested but is there any way I can pray for you?" How would our lives change if we did more loving and less judging? I am sharing these examples because they are both ones that I am 100% guilty of doing. I know these are areas in my life where I need to love more like Jesus. I need to have more compassion for telephone solicitors that are doing their job. I have no idea the pressure they may feel because of bills they have to pay.

Whether it is deeming a pattern impossible only by looking at the photo, it is no different in jumping to the wrong conclusions about a person or situation where you don't know the back story.

Will you join me this week and pray, "Dear Lord, open my eyes this week to those around me. Rather than be quick to judge, help me to display, love and kindness and not give in to the "eye for an eye" mentality. I ask that you replace my irritation with compassion." Amen!

Continue to pray for those you know that have breast cancer, are in the midst of treatments and those that are survivors as well as memorizing, Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.”—Proverbs 29:25