Condemnation

I hear her voice on the phone. It's layered with guilt & shame. She doesn't want to tell me but at the same time, she does. And she's scared to death of how I will react.

She's scared I will judge her.
She's scared I will be angry with her.
She's scared I will be disappointed in her.
She's scared I will think differently of her.
She's maybe even scared she will lose me.

And when the ugly truth comes out, the only thing I have is more love. My heart hurts for her...aches for the troubles of this life. I cried with her and listened as she poured out all the ugly - And It. Was. Ugly.

Because life is ugly sometimes. Sin is ugly. People are cruel and selfish. The Bible doesn't hide these things. The Psalmist spends almost as much time agonizing as he does praising. And there's a piece of me that is so very thankful that our Word is real in that way - because somehow, it helps me to cope with the ugly.

But more than anything else, I long to be a place of healing for her...for her to understand that the ways I have maybe reacted in the past were WRONG. I should never have quoted Bible verses that condemn, for that's not what those truths are there for. I should ever have given her advice so that people won't see the ugly pieces of life. I should have never made her feel guilty, no matter what. {No.Matter.What.}

No more pretending, you know? No one is perfect, outside of Jesus, who was our ultimate example and also is our absolute Way to the Father. Absolute. Only. Way.

And there's no condemnation in Him. None. {read Romans 8 for more details}

If I am in Him {which I am}, and I am to be more like him {which I am - read Philippians 2 for more details}, then there should be no condemnation in me {whether it's for myself or giving out to others}.

Did Jesus support sin? No. Did He encourage it? No. Did He excuse it? No. Over and over and over, he said "Go & sin no more." That's it. "Stop it. I love you. Don't do it anymore. You are free." That's what He says.

Fellow Jesus-lovers, we sometimes get lost on our way to "good things." There are hurting people...in our homes, in our church, in our family, in our friend circle, at our work place. How we react will either point people to Jesus or turn them from Him. And judging {condemning} them will not point them to Christ, this I am sure.

So, sweet friend, the one struggling with hidden sin...the one hiding behind her own shame...STOP. There's no condemnation. None.

And Jesus-loving friends, seriously...STOP. Don't talk if you're going to be judgmental. There's no place for that in Him.