Judging Another Man's Journey Can Limit Yours


I was talking to a very old lady one day and I asked, "what have you learned?"  She paused and said, "too soon old, too late smart."  What an amazing thought and these days I find myself thinking more and more about it.  One of the areas I am trying to improve(or get smarter) is in understanding that another person's life journey is not like mine.  We all have a tendency to view another's journey through the lenses of our own.  In reality, while there is "nothing new under the sun", every journey is different and distinct.  This assuming we understand another person's walk is a kind of myopia that makes us misunderstand and make wrong judgments.  I have known a few agonies in life.  While going through such a time people try to comfort you. There are times when no man's comfort can help.  During these times it is best to simply love and pray for them.  Words can add to the pain.  Even well meaning words.  If you aren't careful you might be tempted to think you know what they are feeling and  you might even think about what you would do if you were them.  This is a slippery slope.  It is actually a kind of judgment.  Truth be told, you don't have a clue what you would do if it were you or your child or your fortune lost.


Jesus said,  "The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." (Matt. 7:2 NLT) This means that you can bring upon yourself what you are sending out to others. We all need people who are pulling for us and especially when we are trying to "find our way back to the trail."  If we sow mercy and understanding to those who are struggling then we will find that much needed mercy and understanding when we ourselves are off track and confused.  We all have those seasons in life.  Look around you today and take a moment to smile at someone and offer a kind word.  (Not a sermon, just a word.)   If the words don't come, that's o.k.  At least don't allow your mind to rush to judgment!  That may be blessing enough.