God Says... "Don't Judge Me, But I'll Judge You!"

By Kely Braswell (Dangerous Breeze)

You Say: "Other people have so many problems. Why can't they get over their issues?""

God Says: Look a little closer. Judge not, lest you be judged. Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment"

I’ve got a huge problem.

One of my friends is a pedophile, and I don’t know it.

Perhaps two. Or more.

And what’s more, I’ve been nice to him. (or her).

And I have another problem.

One of my friends is having an affair. And I don’t know that either.

And there may be more than one.

And one of my friends has a deep problem with obsessive lust. Actually, many, many of my friends do. They view pornography, ALL the time.

But I’m not sure — at least not always sure — which ones they are.

A couple are alcoholics. A few more do drugs of one kind or another.

I can’t believe I hang out with these people. And I even love them.

They sit right beside me, every week, in church. If I knew it, I'd blow them up.

But there’s a dark secret in their lives, too, and they don’t know it.

Unaware, they are. (As Yoda would say.)

One of their friends is very, very selfish. One of their friends judges others. One of their friends has pride. And anger issues. And can be very impatient with his kids, sometimes in an incredibly jerkish, scary way.

And they may not know it, because their friend has learned to hide it pretty well, especially in a group. Especially in a “christian” group. Really well, at church, especially.

And on top of all that, their friend is a pastor.

And he is me.

Right there in their midst.

If they only knew.

"Kely is a church planting team trainer with Antioch Ministries, International." He has a B.S. in Secondary Education, and he’s a lawyer on top of that (go figure that combination!). He has also been an overseas church planter off and on for the last 20 years. Kely is a husband and father to six, and enjoys running, reading and writing. You can find more of his writing over at his blog: Dangerous Breeze.