Judging or Loving?
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive (wicked, harmful) way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24
“Is there anything in my life that You want to change, Lord? Like David, in the verse above, please search my heart…”
The devil wants us to stay bound by sin. He’ll plant every excuse in the world in our minds to keep us from obtaining Jesus, to keep us from Jesus’ liberty, love, grace, peace and rest in our souls.
I was thinking that Mary was probably like Martha before she came to Jesus. I believe this is true because Mary wept at Jesus’ feet when she had her initial encounter with the Lord. Sometimes, repentance (a desire to leave the life we’re living in exchange for God’s ways of living) includes tears of release from a sinful lifestyle that had us bound and miserable.
So many today are using words like “judging and judgemental” about having something pointed out in their life that the Holy Spirit, a friend of family member shares that may be harming them. In the Bible, many such situations were merely times when Christians, out of love for each other, were ministering to each other (especially Jesus and the Apostle Paul in the Bible’s New Testament) and being accountable to each other, being their brother’s keeper, and helping each other grow in the liberty, grace, love and mercy of the Lord.
I was raised to think like Martha in the Bible story in the book of Luke. I was a lot like Martha – I think I was worse. I was worried and upset about many things and didn’t realize that Jesus could change me – In fact, I didn’t think I needed to change. Like my parents, and many other Christians I knew, I thought I’d been seeking Jesus, but He knew I wasn’t really seeking Him to the degree that I needed to in order to come away from all my worry and being upset about many things so much of the time.
Jesus tried to help Martha see something (Him and the beautiful life she could have in Him) that would help her in her life. He took the opportunity to minister some important truth to her that He knew would help her. He said to Martha, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen (she chose Jesus instead of the life she’d been living before) what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 NIV
Maybe like me, the Lord has spoken similar words to you in order to spare you from some harmful behaviors in order to bring you closer to Him, to His green pastures and still waters, to restoration of soul.
Jesus was pointing out a life-important truth to Martha and, like each of us, Martha had a choice to make. Like many today, she could have gotten offended, thought in her heart that Jesus was too judgemental and said, “Don’t judge me,” and stayed the way she was.
Or, she could have refused to be offended, stopped what she was doing and thought, “You’re right, Lord,” received Jesus’ words and recognized the Holy Spirit’s love for her as He drew her closer to God’s true will for her life which was to spend time with Jesus so she could be set free from the “worried and upset” condition in her life.
Today, if the Lord helps you see something He wants to change in you, be open to the Holy Spirit. Instead of refusing His helping, loving, healing touch in your life, ask Him to show and help you become free in Jesus.
I’m still being healed of worry and being upset about many things, but I’m so thankful that when Jesus saw my need that He called me like He did with Mary. I’m so grateful that what He’s given me (New life in Him) “will never be taken away from me.”
God bless,
Mark
