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Judge and Be Judged - By Joanna Sell
One thing many people do not know about me is that I love to write. I do not have any higher education degree in journalism, nor have I studied literature at great length. My grammar skills are horrible! The part about writing that I really enjoy is the profound effect words have when you read them. Two people can read the same thing and have completely different views about what they have just read. It amazes me!
When I volunteered to help write the devotions for the church, I was hesitant because as much as I love to write, I do not think it is a talent I possess. The thought process in my head was.....what if people don't like what I have to say? What if I am judged for the incorrect use of a semicolon? I am a teacher, should I not be perfect in the art of writing?
The more I thought about it, the more I felt that God was pushing me to just say yes and do it! Who cares if my writing is not perfect? Who cares if I use a comma where is it not supposed to be? Well......God has an uncanny sense of humor sometimes doesn't he? The reason I think he has this sense of humor is because each Bible passage I have been assigned has completely impacted me in more than one way. It is almost as if God says "She needs to hear this again."
This passage in Luke is no different. I am ashamed to say that I judge  people. I judge the Mom at Target who lets her child run around the toy aisle and pull things off the shelf. I judge the person on their cell phone while they are driving. I judge people for decisions they make that I would make differently. The crazy part about judging people is that I have most likely done the exact thing I am judging them for!!!!! All of a sudden I think I am high and mighty for saying "Oh goodness....how could they?" This is exactly what this passage in Luke is telling us. When I judge those for decisions they make, especially when I have made those exact decisions, I too become a hypocrite. I like to think I am better now than I used to be about judging others before I get to know them. But I still find myself from time to time crinkling my nose and wondering why people do the things they do.
It is not my job to judge anyone because in my heart I do not want people to judge me. I am extremely self-conscious about what others think about me. Two years ago I found out someone thought I was a rude and mean person; I was crushed. It was a great lesson that I learned that every action I do in my life, there is someone watching me. In this specific situation, I did not handle myself in a positive way, therefore being judged on what kind of a person I am just because of my reaction to the situation.
 The most impactful humans in my life who scrutinize every move I make are my children. Each moment I ignore someone in need, they see it. Each time I make a poor decision, they see it. It is my job to make sure they see me helping others, using appropriate words and living according to the way God wants us to live. Am I going to be perfect in those actions all the time? Of course not. But the more I can remember to be a good example for them, the more of a chance they will grow up to be amazing Christian men, which is the biggest goal I could dream for them.
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is fully trained will be like their teacher.
person on the side of the road is asking for money, let us remember it is not our place to get angry or accuse. It is our job to love, serve and give in everything we do. Every person has a story, but not every person will take the time to hear someone else's story. Be the listener. 
