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Today I want to give you a place to start your week. It’s Monday and in the wake of a great weekend and a workweek ahead, sometimes you just need a “kickstart” to get focused.  So grab some coffee let’s start a great week together.

Sunday, we continued our series “Be Still” at Kfirst. In this new series of talks, we want to look at the “stillness of the soul” that, as the people of God, are called to possess. To “be still” is more than ceasing from doing anything or finding a quiet place. It’s a peace that captures the essence of who we are. It is the deep, calm, confident, stillness of the soul that only Christ can provide.

Week 2 was a special morning as we turned our attention to Mary’s departure to her relatives in Luke 1. It’s here where we look at the type of judgement Mary most likely faced in regards to what God was doing and how others may have perceived her. Judgement inflicts unnecessary roughness on the stillness of our hearts that God wants to establish.

The issue of “judging” is one of the most misunderstood areas of life. Where some see judging as something we shouldn’t do to others who believe that we are allowed to do it in any context. Matthew 7:1 is one of the more misunderstood scriptures on the subject. So we looked at the subject that, I believe, so affected Mary more than most of us realize.

Biblical judgement:

1. Don’t judge from a distance. Look beneath the surface. 
   • From a distance, Mary was living outside of what God desired. But to get closer, the entire situation is different. This is what Jesus challenges us to do in John 7:24 when he says, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” We are not told to refrain from judging but to “judge correctly” by getting past what we can see from a distance. To discern correctly, we need to draw closer to people, not hurt judgments based upon little to no knowledge of the situation.
2. Use a mirror for your heart before using a microscope on someone else’s life.
   • Paul carried the heart of Jesus view (Matthew 7:1) when he penned the words of Romans 2:1-4. We are not to approach hypocritically but humbly. Look at how God responds to you and use that example to respond to others. We start with ourselves before we judge others.

Have you ever been judged wrongly? Have you judged others wrong? How do you approach judgment? This week, begin to take an inventory of how and when judgement enters your heart. Look at opportunities to believe the best in others and treat them better than they deserve.

Love you all. Have an amazing week.