Now, You Can Tell By The Way I Use My Walk
I know a couple of people who have tattoos reading, “Don’t Judge Me.” Both of these individuals have spent considerable time before actual judges. It is virtuous for a person to be non-judgmental, but it is impossible for a person to go through life making no value judgments. To put it another way, it is necessary for a person to be able to distinguish between good and evil, good and better, better and best, but unnecessary for a person to adopt a negative cast on life and individuals. So, we can make judgments without being judgmental.
A lot of folks who adopt the “don’t judge me” attitude are, sadly, covering inappropriate behavior. We all feel a little guilty because everybody has done something they’re not proud of, and, with everyone trying to be so “correct” today, it has become an unchallenged defense. Still, is it improper to look at the way people live and draw conclusions about them? Many will say that they are better than their actions (and there is some truth in that), but that doesn’t much satisfy the teller or the hearer.
We can’t continually make leaps of faith between our best selves and our worst acts. The two must have some kind of connection. Jesus said that you could spot timber by the fruit it bore. A good tree bears good fruit. Look at a person’s life long enough, and you can see right into their heart. Fallenness keeps us from fulfilling all our ideals, but the general trend of a life reveals the nature of the person living it. This is what we called in days gone by the “Christian walk.” How a person lives reveals what they are.
The Bible is simple and complex at once. It contains concise instructions that cover every life situation. There’s a lot to God’s Word, and it takes time to learn to apply it, but basic morality is pretty plain. Though people make mistakes, the general thrust of one’s life becomes clear over time. And it’s an accurate indicator of who you’re dealing with. It’s not being self-righteous or judgmental to say that people should “walk their talk.” We’re not the ultimate judges of anyone, but we are observers of habituation.
I’ve wasted a lot of energy jumping to conclusions, but I’m learning to strike the balance. I want to exercise practical wisdom and still be happy and upbeat. Personally, I’d like to think that I’m better than some of the things I’ve done (and repented of), but my life has been a testimony of human nature and divine nurture. God forgives those sins we commit to Him, but He expects us to walk worthy of that forgiveness. In many ways, our lives are continuums. They are rivers that flow. Others see our individual acts, but understand us by our walk.
Sterl
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