Judge not lest you be judged!

God has been working on my heart about judging others. In my mind I'm not judging certain people, but I am judging others. Boy was I wrong, and in being wrong I have decided I want to change. It is only through God that I can change.

So how have I been judging others. I am judging them by seeing their sin instead of the person. This is not what Jesus did, he spent time with the immoral (as the pharisee's saw them). He saw the person not their sin. We see this so many times.

Women at the well- Jesus talked to her like a person, asked for water, but he knew her sin and proved it by telling her sin. He offered her the only thing that would satisfy her. He offered her himself.

Women caught in adultery - The women caught in adultery knew she had done wrong and stood in her shame and guilt ready to be stoned. Yet Jesus offered her forgiveness he challenged those ready to stone her (judge her) to only judge her if they were perfect. This opened their eyes to see that they to deserved the same punishment as they were getting ready to enact.

Zaccheus - Jesus treated Zaccheus as a person, even going to his house. The way Jesus treated Zaccheus caused him to stand taller, and the love and acceptance he felt changed his life. It changed his life for the better. Zaccheus gave away half of his possessions and paid back those he stole from.

I'm not saying I should ignore their sin and participate in it. I am saying I shouldn't let their sin, or even their actions at all define how I treat them. In most of these cases if I truly saw the person I would see a person crying out for love and acceptance.

So it seems God is challenging me to stop looking at the sin. Stop looking at their actions and cry with them, show them true unconditional love. Not love as long as they do what I think should be done, but love despite what they have done or continue to do.

Think about it like this, when God looks at me I don't want him seeing my sin. I want him seeing his love for me and the blood that washes me clean. That blood is love and forgiveness, and when I look at others I should see them as a person, broken and needing the love only God can give. The love that God asks me to share with others so they can see him when they feel unloved and far away from him.