Judging or Condemning
Minister
Francine Herrington
It is so easy to judge another
person. Someone may speak a different
language and be rude towards you since he is from a different country. You are filled with anger because he won’t
conform to the methods of the land where he has taken residence and you want to
tell him, “Why the heck don’t you just go home! We don’t need you here.”
Have you wondered that it may be possible that God is the One who
orchestrated your meeting with this person?
Are you refusing to befriend that teenager
in your class because she is not stylish?
She has a bad habit of biting her nails and you get disgusted when you
see her chewing away at them. You don’t
talk to her because you don’t want your friends to tease you. This girl may be the very one who would be
willing to help you if you found yourself in a bind. You never took the time to notice her wonderful giving
heart. The reason she is not wearing
the latest fashion is that she gave her clothes to the prostitute who was too
embarrassed to go to church because she had nothing to wear!
Do you keep refusing to give the lady who
lives down the street a ride to the grocery store because she has a skin
problem that makes you sick to your stomach every time you look at her? She has
four little children and it takes her almost an hour to get to her
destination. She could easily make it
in fifteen minutes if someone cared enough to help her. This lady has acquired an enormous wealth of
intelligence and could easily help you with your work situation if only you
would give her a chance!
There are men and women who stand under
the hot sun all day long selling papers for a donation. It’s their way of earning money so that they
can spend one more night at the shelter.
Have you ever told any of them to get a job? Don’t you realize that this is their job? Would you be able to do what they do without
feeling rejected when you haven’t been able to get a
When the Son of Man comes in his glory
with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all
nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds
separate their sheep from their goats. He will place the sheep on his right and
the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, "My
father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you
before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat,
and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger,
you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me
clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail,
you visited me." Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When
did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a
stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in
jail?" The king will answer "Whenever you did it for any of my
people, no matter how unimportant they seemed you did it for me." Then the
king will say to those on his left, "Get away from me! You are under God's
curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! I
was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you
did not give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, but you did not welcome
me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick
and in jail, but you did not take care of me." Then the people will ask,
"Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in jail?" The king will say to them,
"Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant
they seemed, you failed to do it for me."
Minister
Francine Herrington
