Judge Not

As human beings, we're all tempted to be judgmental. Many of us find ourselves yielding to that temptation much *much* more often than we want to admit.

"Does she not realize that wearing clothes like that totally draws attention to how fat she is?"

"Does he ever think before he speaks? He probably just offended someone!"

"They are so dumb to be doing that. Don't they realize how good they've already got it? Why try to improve perfection?"

Etc. etc. etc.

That's why this post kinda hit home for me. Because I've been in the Judging Shoes waaaay too often in my own life. Especially in the area of judging other people who should be like me, but aren't.

For example: For a (brief) amount of time, I was in a homeschool book club. I was really eager to get involved because the only friends I had who were my age were online. To have friends in person just thrilled me. A Homeschool Book Club seemed like the best way to find people who were just like me.

The day of the first meeting, I put my Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, and a couple of biographies into my book bag, made sure my long jean skirt and my blouse were wrinkle-free, and headed to the library. I was met by... a girl with a boy haircut who was wearing almost nothing. Another girl dressed in tight black with dark makeup, etc. A boy with Harry Potter books and other awful reading selections. I waited. The whole first meeting, I kept thinking that someone would come in late and be my bosom friend.

Nothing.

I was stuck with a bunch of pretenders. Home schooled kids who wanted to be in that awful group called The World.

On the outside I was friendly. I talked with them, I read with them. On the inside, though, I judged. After each meeting I mentally went over what was wrong with them. I didn't realize until after the club had disbanded:

The problem was me.

Judge not that ye be not judged.