Who is Judging Whom?

Since moving to Florida, I met a man who has become a very dear friend of mine, one of my closest. We can share any thought, good or bad; we get frustrated with each other at times; yet we both know that if the other has need, we will be there. When we met, he and his girlfriend were homeless, squatting in the shack where an uncle had recently passed. This uncle, an admitted criminal and sexual abuser of children, we had met months before and had led to the Lord. We have them over as often as we can; most of the time they spend the night (in separate beds). Our children enjoy them and love them as well; we are family! My friend has no job, no car, no driver’s license, struggles with alcoholism, smokes pot and cigarettes, he and his girlfriend live together and are not married, and did I mention they are black? When I see them, I see none of these things. I see rather the struggles they faced as children and young adults. Abandoned by fathers, one mother murdered, another long passed into glory, abused by relatives, taken advantage of by friends, and left alone to fend for themselves, ill-equipped to succeed in a world that has no use for them. I see the people Jesus died for, those cast out by society; those most people look upon often with disdain and judgment. Like many people in this world, I have relatives and friends who are openly gay, living a homosexual lifestyle. When I see them, I never avoid or turn away from them nor am I repulsed in any way. I love them. We embrace, we laugh; we are family. As I think of them, I do not think of their lifestyle and choices. I think of absent fathers, poor role models, various influences in their lives that led them down the path of believing lies—Christians, church leaders, deceivers who have all too often fallen and taken many like these with them, then left them alone in the depths of despair. I think of the father of lies and his plan to destroy millions more just like these I know and love. I think of this truth—I know this truth that sets men free, this truth that releases us from the bondage of sin, shame, and guilt—the truth of Jesus! I do not judge these. That is not my place. It is a role, a task that is reserved for one, the God of all creation, and I am not He. The Word of God is true. It is divisive. It causes men to think, to be stirred, to be convicted, to see hope, love, and redemption. It is the story of God and man—God’s desire to restore man to pure fellowship and man’s desire to do as he pleases without consequence. It is a story about a struggle, a struggle for man to believe in what he cannot see, yet knows deep in his heart exists. It is also a struggle within the heart of man to believe that he, in his failings, is still loved unconditionally by a God so powerful, so awe-inspiring that He was able to hang the planets, stars, and moons from nothing, create man, and so much more! It is the story of man’s struggle between what he knows is right and good and yet falling and failing all too often to the desires of his flesh, fed with constant fervor from the influences of this world. It is a story about the greatest battle of all time, in a war that has already been won. We would all do well to remember that we are each in a battle of our own, the intensity of which varies just as the wind, blowing from all directions and at varying degrees depending upon the elements that influence it. Ultimately, the outcome of our individual battle will be determined by us, not by our friends or enemies, nor by the influences, tragedies, and circumstances of our lives. No, it will all come down to one thing—the choice we make. Do we surrender to the will of God or to the will of our flesh? And that, my friends, is the truth as I see it. Either Jesus is Lord of your life or He is not, and there is no one else to blame if you choose wrong. So you see, it is not about being judged or judging others; it’s about each one choosing for himself whom he will serve. Just remember this, the war has already been won! Gene Burroughs 12/13