Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. -‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:4‬ ‭(NASB)

Years ago, I was in the parking lot of a store, and saw a woman not bother to use the shopping cart return “corrals,” but instead just leave their cart next to their car, then drive away. It seemed like they could take the time to not ding their car, but not take 30 steps to put their cart in the cart return!

I imagined all the extra work that the store employees had to take on to round up all those carts…and it must be even worse when it rained! I disgustedly extended my imaginings to think of what other thoughtless ways that woman must live her life.

In that moment, I became Judgy McJudgerson. From witnessing a few seconds of another person’s life, I decided she was a careless, insensitive, and selfish person. I would certainly not act like her!

Fast forward to today, and now I’m like that woman. Once I empty my cart into the car, I roll the cart to the front of my parking spot, then slowly drive my car out and away, taking care to not ding my car. Why?

I now have a young child in the car with me. I don’t want to be far from him, for his own safety. And maybe that’s what was happening with the woman I judged so severely years ago.

Paul says it well to the believers in Corinth:

But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. -1 Corinthians 4:3 (NASB)

We see so little of the lives of others, and without actually walking in their shoes, seeing what they’re seeing and doing what they’re doing, we really don’t know what their stories are. It’s too easy to judge another person the second they make a little or big goof by your standards, and more difficult–but God-honoring–to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The bottom line is this:

It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall. -Psalms‬ ‭75:7‬ (‭NLT‬)‬

I’m tired of judging others and being judged by others. By remembering that we were created by Him, to worship Him in how we live our lives, and that He alone judges, a huge weight is lifted from our shoulders so we can live victoriously. Thank You, Jesus!

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. -Psalm 107:14 (NIV)

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. -Job 42:2 (NIV)

Ever seen photos of an adult elephant chained to a post? The chain is comically small, logically too weak to possibly hold the elephant back. In truth, the elephant could snap it in a heartbeat and go in freedom…but it’s been trained since childhood that chains couldn’t be broken. And that was true when the elephant was smaller.

And so it is in our lives. We’ve been living in chains of guilt, shame, sin, greed, and more. But God has a greater purpose for His children, which won’t be thwarted by mere earthly bindings.

I was trained and raised with shame and guilt, two powerfully effective tools to keep me in check. They were emotional and mental chains that bound me in a godless existence, and it wasn’t till decades later that Jesus blasted those chains to bits. He showed me that condemnation was no longer my prison.

But sometimes we can pick up our old chains, as weird and twisted it may be. There are those in my life who wield guilt and shame expertly, and I sometimes find myself reverting to my old self, putting myself back in chains. It’s at that moment that we can look up to God, and not down at the ground, and remember what He did for us…and to see those who oppress us with His compassion. We can pray for them.

Old chains aren’t what they used to be. Thank you, Jesus!

Put on your new nature, created to be like God–truly righteous and holy. -Ephesians 4:24 (NLT)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. -Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

Imagine a suit you could put on that would hurt you. It would wear you down, cut you, and injure you. But it would only do so if you chose to put it on. The longer you wear it, the more you’re broken down. When you’re wearing that suit and look in the mirror, you’ll see a distorted image of a defeated person. That suit turns you into Goliath to beat yourself up.

When we make a mistake, no matter how big or small, we can choose to repent (turn away) from it, ask for forgiveness from God and anyone affected, and we can continue our walk in Christ, unencumbered. Or, we can turn our mistakes into the worst millstones around our necks. We can choose to step into an torture suit of our own choosing and beat ourselves up to the devil’s delight.

God calls us to a life of victory, hard won by His Son at the cross for us. He didn’t die so we’d keep looking inward and torture ourselves, giving the enemy a serious stronghold in our minds. No, He gave us a direct line to Him when the temple veil was torn. We can bring our burdens to His feet in confession and repentance, then get up with His easy yoke and light burden!

The twisted feature of this Goliath is that it’s one you become yourself–to defeat yourself. This Goliath is like a torture suit you put on…one that harms you as long as you wear it. Throw that old, tired Goliath outfit in the trash (and no more fishing it out of the trash!), put on your new self, and move on to God’s glory.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. -Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

It’s easy to let everyday life in this world weigh us down and wear us down.

It’s easy to take on the burdens of work–or lack of work–and home life and all our other demands on your shoulders. It can be so great that you can hardly breathe or move. It can be so great that it drains your energy and spirit to the point of sluggishness and resignation.

It’s easy to believe the lies about who we are, to believe we’re our mistakes. It’s easy to let the dirt of slander, abuse, and sin cake on us, like layers of mud and dirt.

But beneath all that is the light of God’s love that shines in you…and the lightness of His yoke.

What’s easier than all the things we take on as we lose focus on God is the yoke of Christ. The second we feel the burden of pain and sin, or God’s light we reflect being obscured by dirt and shame, it’s time to get on our knees and surrender all of it to God.

You may think you don’t have time…that you need to keep pressing on…but without refocusing on Him and His priorities for you, you will fail alone. And the enemy may even fool you into thinking God hasn’t been with you!

God made in you a beautiful creation He so loved that He died for you! We get farther and farther away from it as we press on our own mistaken paths in our own strength. I implore you to stop and remember the blessed creation He made in you, and to let Him transport all of your burdens so that you may walk with Him in the light–and with the lightness and peace of His yoke. When we remember how God sees us, every burden and pain falls away to reveal the value and beauty He put in us.

Today’s soundtrack

MercyMe’s “Beautiful” reminds us that we are His beautiful works, made for more than what we’re going through now.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. -Romans 15:7 (NIV)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. -Romans 8:37 (NIV)

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. -Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

I saw an inspirational graphic flow through my Facebook timeline the other day. It was from the TobyMac fan page, and it said:

NEVER BE DEFINED BY YOUR PAST. IT WAS JUST A LESSON, NOT A LIFE SENTENCE.

That’s one of those images that makes you nod in agreement, even when nobody’s there to agree with you.

Everyone makes mistakes…ones they wish never happened. But don’t torture yourself over what is done. We have a God who uses all of them to shape our lives and build us in a way that can show His work in us. He makes a way where there seems to be no way.

On the other hand, we can use those mistakes to let guilt and condemnation rule us from within, and from how others judge us. We can listen to Satan’s whispers, and other peoples’ shouts, in our ears to confirm we are hopeless. And we are…as long as we look inward and downward…instead of upward.

Our hope is entirely in the Lord, and just watch Him wipe your slate clean when you come to Him in earnest apology, confession, and repentance. Even though others may hold you to your past mistakes, know that you are forgiven and free. You may still have consequences to work out, but you can find God working even through them to refine and strengthen you.

You are a child of God. His fingerprints are all over you, are they not? Give Him your sin burdens and walk straight and tall once more, for we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. And while you walk straight and tall, forgive and love those who judge and despise you. Christ loves us unconditionally, and we are called to do the same.

Your identity in Christ is a child of the light. Brush off the dirt and stop picking it back up again. Instead, put it under your feet, and keep moving forward, eyes on Him. Watch and trust in what He does with your life!

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. -1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)

Everyone has that one big mistake they wish they could do over in life. If you’re like me, you may have several big mistakes your mind sometimes revisits…or you’re reminded of by another person.

It’s very easy to wallow in defeat…to live in past errors. It’s easy to call yourself a screwup. It’s easy to think that everything you touch crumbles…that you’re poison.

Maybe you think you’ve made too many mistakes. Maybe the consequences of your mistakes are still happening now. Maybe even after God has changed you, after you’ve accepted Jesus and watched Him transform your heart, everyone has turned their back on you because they only see the old you’s mistakes.

You are not the screwup that you or anyone else says you are. As a child of God, you can stand tall, free and forgiven. And if you trust Him, now God will build you a backbone so you can walk upright and even boldly.

You can’t take back what’s been done, but you can pray that God may show you how He will use even your mistakes for the good of His children. As you walk…as you pray…look up at Him always, not across the choppy waves. Listen to Him, not the howling winds and scornful words.

He is all the strength and support we need. There’s no need to take back the past, but watch the great future God can atop it!

Today’s soundtrack

MercyMe’s “Greater” reminds us that, thanks to Jesus’ work, we are holy, righteous, and redeemed.

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. -Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. -John 15:12 (NIV)

I know people who hold grudges and bitterness against their parents…even beyond the grave. I want to share with you what God told me about that.

My father never talked much about his past. Right up to the day he died, I knew little to nothing about his family, his ancestry, or anything. All I knew was a father who, like all fathers, had their good points and bad points. But what I learned about him in just the three days of his funeral service changed everything.

My blasé memories

I always remembered my dad as a man who seemed constantly bored with life. He always had his nose in books, newspapers, and so on. Aside from carting me and my siblings around, I don’t remember him doing much else with us. His life seemed terribly unadventurous and uninspired.

My judgment and condemnation

It must’ve been around 2008, eight years before his death, that I learned some very, very disappointing things about him. I was not a true believer back then, and my image of him was shattered. I no longer respected him, but only tolerated him for many years.

Reboot

I was born again in 2013, and the Holy Spirit began the process of rebooting how I viewed everyone and everything…and that is still ongoing. I learned a key principle of a Christ follower, which was to surrender all resentments to the Lord, and to love as He loved us. I, as all true believers do, continue to do better with this every day.

Revelation and compassion

Through the funeral service, God told me there was more than just rebooting I needed in my perspective. Through his brother, nephews, and friends who showed up, I learned about whole swaths of his life never before revealed. I learned about his illustrious military and professional career. I learned about his beloved reputation as a mentor, friend, and generous giver to so many people. I learned about a man who established a worldwide network of friends who would know and support him almost anywhere on earth.

Now I could see why he was so bored and frustrated. After such an amazing life, settling down to sell insurance and raise kids would be soul-numbing. I could understand now why he would hang out all the time with his friends–to continue to live in the glory of days past.

(Being true believers, we know we are not to live like that, but to live to the fullest in the present, and to leave God our burdens, and trust Him with amazing plans for us. When we see God in all the details of our lives, we see exciting dimension and opportunity for honoring God in every little thing we do.)

The lesson God taught me was that, no matter how much I may experience with someone–even my own father, through the decades–I could never know everything about them. I could never have a complete picture of their pains and hopes. I only had the lens of my own limited experience, with a peek into others through stories. Because of this, we should always have compassion for the dimensions of a person we cannot see, trusting that their outward behavior is the fruit of all we can’t see within.

This lesson He taught me extends to everyone, but especially our parents: We are commanded by God, not asked, to honor them. And because we will never know them as fully as God knows them, we love and respect and honor them unconditionally. We see and love them as God sees them in their finished state, not based on the flaws and mistakes we concentrate on.

As true believers, we love unconditionally. We will fail constantly, but because He loves us unconditionally, so will we love and honor our parents as He loves us.

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. -Luke 6:27-28 (NIV)

There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus. We have to learn to abide in Him wherever we are placed. -Oswald Chambers

If you’ve reached that turning point in your life where you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, your life began an amazing transformation for the better. He opened your eyes to truths that you never could see before, because you were blinded by what the world (and its ruler) told you was true and right.

But with that transformation likely came another one: resistance, and maybe even hostility, from those who previously walked along with you. Since your path diverged from theirs, you became alien to them, and they might lash out and remind you of your past mistakes. They will tell you what a terrible person and hypocrite you are to call yourself a follower of Christ, considering your past.

The enemy may do the same, whispering in your ear, making you doubt your new identity in Christ. Satan may get you to rewind the clock in your mind, reliving your past mistakes, tripping you up and tricking you into condemning yourself and wallowing in shame and remorse.

But your new identity in Christ frees you from condemnation, frees you from your past. You are forgiven and free. And unlike the old you, who might bash yourself into a pulp for your mistakes, you now have a Father to whom you can directly confess and repent of your sin, and be forgiven.

Christ is your constant in this world, no matter if everyone on this earth turns away from you. You do not live to please anyone but the Lord. To please Him, bless those who curse you…the ones who want you to rewind to the old person they want you to be again. Pray for them. Do good to them, and love them.

We live and love for Christ, and He will carry us no matter what happens here on earth. And what I believe you will find, fellow true believer, is that while some may turn away from you, others will come to you as you walk in His truth. We were made to worship, not win a popularity contest.

Today’s soundtrack

Chris Tomlin’s “Made To Worship” reminds us of our purpose here on earth.

<iframe width=”420″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/0jjqynuIkFM” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. -Micah 7:8 (NIV)

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity. -Proverbs 24:16 (NASB)

This agent lives in Houston, Texas, USA. And if you’ve even been in Houston for even a week, you know that its streets are riddled with potholes and cracks. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to have my car’s alignment redone after driving over a pothole big enough to swallow a football.

The other thing you see all over Houston: construction sites. Because the roads are so bad, they are constantly being repaired.

That kind of reminds me of my life…there are some stretches of smooth road, but more often than not, there are jarring bumps and drops all over the place.

So if I had a sign that honestly portrayed the story of my life, it would be: Under Construction.

We all hit serious bumps. We all fall and crash sometime, whether the roads we take serve up unpredicted circumstances, or we hit the curb because we weren’t keeping our eyes on the road…keeping our eyes on the Lord.

Well, fellow traveler, take heart. No matter how many bumps and crashes and times we stray off the intended path, God is waiting for us to return to the path He has planned for us. There might even be some bumps along the way, which He’ll use to keep us sharp and alert, ever improving us.

So, never mind whether you’re in the ditch. Don’t believe the condemning lies and judgment put upon you by others (and maybe even yourself!). Dust yourself off and get back on God’s road and path for your life.

Pardon the dust. There’s a lot of construction going on. God’s building something wonderful out of your and your life for His glory!

I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? -Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV)

The prison you cannot touch

I come from a family that truly knows how to harbor resentment, make it flourish, and carry it for decades…even past the death of another person. Talk about nurturing poisonous pain!

As a child, I was raised by parents could never be wrong. And from that, I inferred that it must be me who was always wrong and at fault. You can imagine the stage that set for adulthood.

Going hand in hand with this thinking is the debilitating way of looking backward in regret, living and reliving the past, just torturing the soul in self-condemnation, self pity, and guilt.

These conditions create invisible prisons for the mind and soul that may as well be cages and shackles of iron to keep us contained.

God breaks you free

But there is nothing too hard for the Lord.

There is nothing the Great Physician can’t heal. No pain or wound too deep. No rift or schism He can’t bridge. No prison from which He cannot free you.

After 40 years, my eyes started to see that resentment, self-condemnation, and regret were all sin burdens paid for in full by Jesus on the cross. And that truth only gets clearer with each passing day.

Though my sins were like scarlet, He made them white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).

Get off the old cycle and on the new

For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. -Psalm 92:4 (NIV)

If not for Him, I would continue the cycle with my son. The cycle of sin and pain stop where God begins, and He has His hands outstretched to lift us up out of our prisons and into the freedom of His love.

And now that we are free, fellow believer, let us honor the Lord in starting healing and loving cycles…cycles of light and growth and change. Can you see the morning sun rising on your life after the years and years of night?

Today’s soundtrack

MercyMe’s “Hurt and the Healer” tells how God’s glory meets our suffering: