Accepting Others and Their Process of Growth

This morning I woke to my puppy, who is now about 7 months old, licking my face like it was a Popsicle on a warm day. She is adorable, and it “sounds” so cute, but it was annoying at 5:30 in the morning! About that time, my other little dog made her way to the bed and just sat quietly by my side, content to be quiet and wait for me to wake up. The contrast was huge and I asked little Lucy, the pup, ” Why can’t you be like Molly, she just sits here so quiet, so calm…such a good dog.”

As the words came out of my mouth I realized that what I was saying was impossible. Lucy could not act like Molly because Lucy was only 7 months old, a spirited little puppy, while Molly was 5 years old, a mature dog. Yet, somehow in my mind, a dog is a dog, and now that we got through the real young stage of potty training, etc….Lucy should just be one of the dogs, right?

Unfortunately we do this to people too. We compare the stage they are at with another person who has had more time and experience to walk with God and grow in grace.  It’s acceptable in the baby stages…those early days, but after awhile we expect people to be mature Christians when in fact, they are like little puppies in the Lord, just excitedly finding their way and making messes and mistakes each day as part of their learning journey.

It’s time to embrace something very important…we are all in different places. And, because of this, the whole idea of judging each other is ridiculous. I am guilty of judging others as much as you are. But, we need to look at how detrimental this kind of attitude is to us, to others, and to the very core of our hearts. Judging others is not the way of Christ, and he clearly teaches us not to do it any longer.

Today’s Truth: Luke 6:37,38b

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do no condemn, and you will not be condemned…For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

What measure are you using in sizing up your friend, husband, co-worker, or church mate? Are you looking at something God has done, by His grace, in your own life, and looking down on them because they clearly don’t have it together in that area? Are you measuring them by something that you still struggle with, but accept it in yourself, and judge it in someone else? Are you expecting people to be grown up and completely mature, when in fact, spiritually they are just growing and learning every day like my little puppy Lucy?

Lucy can not be Molly. Impossible. They are different breeds with differing temperaments. So it is impossible for them to be the same. Add to that the fact that they are different ages and mature dogs are different than puppies. The person you are irritated with can not be you. You are different, but each of you loved and accepted by God.

This is a simple illustration that hopefully will get us all to look more clearly at the judgement we dole out to others, unfairly.

Today, give the judgements to God. Ask Him to forgive you for misjudging other people. Let people “be” and encourage them as they “grow”.

Today’s Prayer

Father, I am not perfect and do not have my “act” together. Remind me of that when I am too quick to judge other people for their actions. Forgive me for the ugliness of heart that brings me to the place of judging other people and change that in me.