Letting Go of Judgement

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Pine Springs Camp!

We’re halfway through the week, Built for Life! – where we’ve been digging into Jesus “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke, including the Beatitudes along with some other corresponding stories and lessons.  Today was about judging and included the memorable instruction about trying to instruct someone about the speck in their eye while you’ve got a giant log in your own.

That’s the kind of image that you remember, right?

It’s another one to think about when anyone questions Jesus having a sense of humor.  Because not only is it patently absurd to try and help someone while you’ve got a giant log stuck in your own eye… can you even imagine having a giant log stuck in your own eye?  It’s like a scene from The Three Stooges or Abbot and Costello, with one of them spinning around, holding a 10ft two-by-four and knocking the other in the back of the head.  That one’s in the bible and it comes from the lips of Jesus!

But I digress.

This Sunday, inspired by this week at camp, I’m going to preach on the Beatitudes from Luke, and especially on the last verse, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”  Wait for Sunday to see what’s going on there… but in the meantime, I wanted to encourage you with this:

One of the quickest ways to lose joy is to judge.

When we stand in judgment of someone, even of ourselves, we set ourselves apart in a way that makes joy nearly impossible.  I mean, find me the food critic or the movie critic who’s smiling.  How about Statler & Waldorf (the Muppets) – their faces are in perpetual frowns because they’re judging absolutely everything.  Sure, they’re funny… but they’re not joyful.

If you want to build a life that is filled with joy, the kind of joy that Jesus lives with, the kind of joy that the Spirit empowers with, the kind of joy that God the Father began creation with… let go of the need to judge others, or yourself.  And simply receive, everything, with joy.

I’ll be working on this as I make my way back down the mountain on Friday, after camp… inevitably driving behind someone who has a slightly different view of the speed limit than I do. LOL.

Welcoming You to Grow in Jesus – one joy-filled letting go of judgment at a time,

Pastor Don