I have heard this phrase used frequently. Recently, while waiting on a customer, I asked a woman if the baby she was holding was hers. I meant no harm when I asked and I certainly was insinuating nothing. I was only curious and I absolutely love children. Another woman, the baby’s mother, looked me square in the face and told me “in no uncertain terms” that I had no right to judge her daughter. Wow!!! I hear it used by others at work and I confess that I have jokingly used it myself. What concerns me is that, in our culture, it seems if I disagree with someone else’s opinion or something they are doing suddenly, I have judged them. Perhaps we need to redefine or rather get back to what it really means to “judge” someone. The word judge is a judicial term meaning to pronounce sentence on a guilty party. When we judge, we are pronouncing sentence on a person. According to the words of Jesus, we are not to judge, sentence anyone. Even with the woman caught in adultery Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you." Jesus, the only one who had a right to act as judge did not condemn her. His only concern was that she go and sin no more. As Jesus looks at you and me, he says the same thing he said to her, “I don’t pronounce judgment on you." When we trust him, he says you are not guilty. I am not in the place of God to sentence anyone. At times, my love for God and others may compel me let you know what you are doing is wrong. How will you and I know what sin is if everyone is afraid to call something wrong. I know that Hell is just as real as Heaven and I do not want anyone to go there. Love never judges, but it may bring us face to face with sin so that we can turn and be saved.
To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2Corinthians 2:16 Last break! The shift was almost over. Then the unthinkable happened, this man appeared out of nowhere wanting to know where the flashlights were kept. As we were on our way to the flashlights, I noticed that this man had a very strong odor. I thought perhaps I could get in front of him so that the smell would not be as strong. That, however, was not to be either since; he insisted on keeping pace and walking right beside me. By the time we got to where the flashlights were; I was practically running just to keep ahead of him. I showed him the flashlights and made a hasty exit. If you’re like me, you shower and even put on perfume or cologne so that you will not stink. We are concerned that the smell coming from our body is not offensive to others. As I write this, I wonder if we are as concerned with our spiritual aroma as ...
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