Drop your stones;

Lately I've been making my way through the book of Luke and, as with every other book I've read lately, it's becoming my favorite! Chapter 6 stood out to me.


Luke 6:37-38 -- Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full- pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.


These two verses tackle so many things we overlook.


Judging others. How often do we judge each other? We don't have to admit to doing it because we all know we do...sometimes we don't even know we do, but we are constantly judging others. The outfit someone wears may lead us to categorize them, or perhaps a tattoo, piercing, hair style, car, bicycle...you name it and we can judge someone for it. Sometimes we judge people based on their Facebook statuses, friends, laughs, or the school they attend. No matter what our reasoning behind our judgement...it's still wrong. I often find myself judging people based on the way that they've treated me. If someone has hurt me they move into the 'Keep your distance' category and stay there for safe-keeping. I mean, no one wants to get hurt again, right? But, doesn't the Jesus I serve preach about forgiveness and redemption?


The truth is (for all of us who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ) you are not who you used to be. You have been made new.


2 Corinthians 5:17 -- This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!


Christ's forgiveness and love know no bounds...so why do we tell ourselves it's okay for ours to reach only a certain point? I don't know about you, but I am so convicted by this reality. The way I treat others is not okay...even if it's only within my thoughts. I have allowed myself to get so wrapped up in the idea that some people in my life haven't lived up to Jesus' standard. Weird, eh? People didn't live up to Jesus' standard...because that's what people were meant to do...because I have met this standard...(hope you're catching the sarcasm here...)


Here's how Jesus loved,


John 8:3-11 -- As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."


I need to drop my stones. I need to thank Jesus for refusing to throw a stone at me, the only One who had the right to, and he didn't do it. His message was of never-ending grace and mercy. The ultimate gift.


Thank you, Jesus. Teach me to love as you have loved me!