"Don't judge me" we say as we grab that extra cookie or cut loose on the dance floor. It seems that phrase has engrained itself into our vocabulary. But why are we so fixated on the judgment of others? It can be paralyzing at times and can even dictate the way we live our lives. Many of us are so focused on how the world tells us to live that we are unable to live freely in Christ.
I challenge that mentality. I challenge Christians to think not by the world's standards, but by God's. He created each one of us as a unique work of art. There is no one else that could take your place. We were all created in God's image and He has deposited a unique part of Himself in every single one of us, as all artists do. God is so multifaceted that His character cannot be fully seen in just one of us, although He lives on the inside of every born again Christian on earth.
Next time you think about what others will think of you, stop yourself. Think of how God created you and get comfortable in that role. If we all fit into the same mold that would make our creator very one-dimensional. Be confident in the man or woman He designed you to be and instead of judging one another, look for that deposit of Jesus in others. You will find that it not only changes your view of other people, but also enhances your perspective and understanding of the character of God. Step into your unique role in the body of Christ, never fearing the judgement of man. And always go confidently after that extra cookie!
Romans 14:12-13 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (ESV)
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 12:12-20 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. (NIV)
I challenge that mentality. I challenge Christians to think not by the world's standards, but by God's. He created each one of us as a unique work of art. There is no one else that could take your place. We were all created in God's image and He has deposited a unique part of Himself in every single one of us, as all artists do. God is so multifaceted that His character cannot be fully seen in just one of us, although He lives on the inside of every born again Christian on earth.
Next time you think about what others will think of you, stop yourself. Think of how God created you and get comfortable in that role. If we all fit into the same mold that would make our creator very one-dimensional. Be confident in the man or woman He designed you to be and instead of judging one another, look for that deposit of Jesus in others. You will find that it not only changes your view of other people, but also enhances your perspective and understanding of the character of God. Step into your unique role in the body of Christ, never fearing the judgement of man. And always go confidently after that extra cookie!
Romans 14:12-13 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (ESV)
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (ESV)
1 Corinthians 12:12-20 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. (NIV)
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