JUST WHERE WAS YOUR MIND! Part 2 Editorial

 

Earlier today I posted  a link that  at  first  glance would make a person wonder.

 

Be  honest with yourself, what was  your  first  reaction?

I did this as a test mailny because after  receiving this link from  my hubby, I felt  that I had failed a test.

 

My first thoughts was that it was something that he had found funny and wanted to share, but was probably not  something I was going to be comfortable with. Yet trusting my hubby and knowing that he would never do anything to purposefully embrass me, I clicked on the link. Boy did  I feel foolish when it came up as a site about .

 

But it got me to thinking about how many of  us, definetly myself, are  quick to  judge others or  to  jump to  conclusions (like  I did).

 

For some reason, it is easier to jump to negative conclusions about people, things, &  situtions  than it is to assume the best abou them. When we do this, we ascribe to them bad intentions and evil purposes that may not be true. We also reveal something about ourselves, for the faults we see in others are actually are reflection of our own.

 

Only God Knows

We sometimes criticize others unfairly. We don't know all their circumstances, nor their motives. Only God, who is aware of all the facts, is able to judge people righteously. The same applies  with things and situtions.

It is important to understand the difference between being judgmental and discerning truth from error. In Matt. 7:1, the Lord said, “Do not judge lest you be judged.�?Then, in verses 2-5 he warns against trying to correct others without first correcting what is wrong in our own lives. If we deal honestly deal with our own hearts, etc., then we have the responsibility to help others. But there is also a warning in verse 6. He said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine�?(vs. 6). How can we know that someone, in their spiritual condition, is like a dog or a pig (i.e., someone who is incapable of appreciating the truth—apathetic, cold, indifferent), unless you judge, discern their character or their spiritual condition?

This passage does not teach that judgments should never be made. In fact, Matthew 7:5 specifically speaks of removing the speck from your brother’s eye. But the Lord’s point is that no one is qualified nor able to do that if they are habitually critical or condemnatory of the specks in someone else’s eye when they themselves have a plank—a hyperbole for effect�?B>in their own eye. Such are not truly interested in righteousness, only in playing spiritual king of the mountain.

I learned a lot  from this experience.  I also meet with all the a. b. and c's questions  from above.  I was c ritized, it was deleted frompost and I was even  banned froma group today, whether  because of this or not I do't know as I wasn't given the reason, but following up on this post all I can think of it was  because of it.

As managers of groups we do need to be aware of links that are posted. But as a manager do you check a link before  deleting the post? early on I didn't, I asssumed and deleted. NOw I tryto check unless the wording  itself is a clear indicator that  the link is something that I don't want on my site. But as a manager I also thought about how many times that I ignored a post  because I didn't like what it  siad or because I was a little embrassed by it.

As managers, I say be vigiliant  and keep up te  good job. As a human I  pray Lor help me to  do better and toreflect your light and  gloery and to leave  the  judging to you. ALso to help me not make that decisions that  may be wrong but  grant  me the wisdom to be able to discern the good from the  bad, and follow the  path that youwant me to follow.

If I offended anyone with the post I apologize as that wasnot my intention.

I don't  intentionally judge others and I don't intentionally jump to conclusons  but this link today showed me  my shortcomings. I do in fact  do these things. Oh, maybe not in a big  way andmaybe not where anyone would evennoticed. It isn't somethig I do daily or evenoften, but I  must  admit I am guilty. As they say I definetly see where I need to clean up my act!

The following story will make my point better than I can I think.

The Angel

The following story appeared in the newsletter “Our America:�?

"Dodie Gadient, a schoolteacher for thirteen years, decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One afternoon rounding a curve on I-5 near Sacramento in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared, and alone. In spite of the traffic jam she caused, no one seemed interested in helping.

"Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, 'Please God, send me an angel �?preferably one with mechanical experience.' Within four minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattooed arms. With an incredible air of confidence, he jumped off and, without even glancing at Dodie, went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the freeway onto a side street, where he calmly continued to work on the water pump.

"The intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to talk. Especially when she read the paralyzing words on the back of his leather jacket: 'Hell's Angels—California.' As he finished the task, she finally got up the courage to say, 'Thanks so much,' and carry on a brief conversation. Noticing her surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her straight in the eye and mumbled, 'Don't judge a book by its cover. You may not know who you're talking to.' With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared."

Given half a chance, people often crawl out of the boxes into which we've relegated them.

Larry D. Wright