Judge me!

Just some some thoughts while mowing the lawn tonight and after a conversation with my brother...
A memory verse from my college days keeps running through my mind this week...

Colossians 2:8New Living Translation (NLT)

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers[a] of this world, rather than from Christ.

I remember that class pretty well. My college professor, Mrs. Allshouse shared truth in love. Sometimes I didn't like hearing it very much, like the time she told me my dress was too low cut... But when she shared truth, she always always tried to do so from the loving lense of Gods word and His truth in hopes of guiding our hearts closer to His --even if hearing certain truth hurt a bit. Especially that dress, because it made me feel and look good... But alas, I recognized the truth she was trying to teach my heart was to love others above myself by protecting hearts not setting them forth to stumble and ultimately love God above myself by laying down my desires to glorify Him.
I hope when I die someday people will say of me that, like Mrs. Allshouse, I was willing to speak biblical truth lovingly in hopes of guiding hearts nearer their Maker, in love, gentleness and humility but even knowing it may sting a bit at times too. I've already failed at this in seasons though, allowing the evil spirit of deception to mascarade as love in my silence or acceptance or unclear ways rather than gentle correction and loving truth, I truly led way to hate. I've also failed in seasons of my own misguided heart making me incapable of leading hearts when my own was so distant from Christ.

Now, onto talking with my brother... Tonight he shared with me he is 90 days free and clean! Sobriety has been a journey for him. I believe walking in freedom is a journey for us all! We will have our ups and our downs. But anyway, he said something I thought very profound... He said that the group he is a part of made him very angry last week. He was like, "they said some things that were very judging...and they kinda judged me... And it hurt. And I was so angry. But what they said was true and when I went away and thought about it, eventually I realized they were right." As our conversation went on he continued to explain that this was really difficult for him... For him to be talked to in these ways and to then recognize the bad parts in himself and then after recognizing the truth in the hurting things that were brought to light, seeing the need to change if he wanted to move forward and be better for it... It was so difficult for him. But he chose to do so and he is seeing he is gonna have to work on this more still. Judgement and condemnation are two very different things.

Christians, Christ followers, Jesus lovers, we must learn the difference between the two and be willing as well as be able and in a spiritually healthy place to judge our brothers and sisters in Christ AND, I will say it again, AND, we must be eager to RECEIVE judgement ourselves. So that like my brother, we can grow and be changed, stronger, better for it!

Dear brothers and sisters, there are two very deceptive and hollow philosophies (even a spirit blinding many) many have bought into.
1. LOVE must be free from judgment, boundaries, discipline, and consequences to be true love.
2. To be silent, absent or vague on any front is more loving than simply sharing truth no matter what the medium whether through doctrine, through microphone, through book or written word, through media or social media, through photography, through music, whatever it is and wherever you are, "in season and out of season" be ready to be salt and light BECAUSE oh how this dying world NEEDS it so desperately...