Do Not Judge!

One day I was in the library reading for school and noticed a middle-aged woman come in with several bags. She spotted a table with two chairs and began to put her bags in them to claim her spot. She began to unpack her bags full of paper and neatly organize them on the table. What caught my eye was that she walked away and brought two more chairs to the table and placed them in their proper position. So, I automatically assumed that she was expecting others at the table. But, no one ever came to sit with her. Her hair was all over her head and her clothes were wrinkled. I tried to get back to my reading, but was completely distracted by her constant moving about the table. She made frequent trips to the bookshelves and returned and stacked books on the table. I immediately thought, “This lady is suffering from some type of mental illness.” She literally could not stay seated. She was overwhelmed by all of her bags and seem to have a problem focusing on one task. Many people came and asked if she was using her chairs and she turned them away. After one hour, I realized that I was not going to get any work done and decided to leave.
Two weeks ago, I went to the Baptist Theological Seminary in my area to read for school. I carried my laptop bag, another bag with my books, and paper, and my purse. I spotted a table and began unpacking my things. I sat down and pulled up some information on the computer and got hungry. I got up and got some snacks from the cafe and sat down to eat them. My cell phone rang and I answered a call very quietly. Then I had to go to the bathroom. When I returned, I realized that my table was not very organized, so I straightened it. I sat down and began to read. Then I realized that I had not answered an email, so I checked my email. Then I checked Facebook. The snacks I ate before did not satisfy me, so I got up again and went back to the cafe to get a sandwich. When I came back to the table and sat down, I noticed a few people looking at me. Then I saw the image of the middle-aged woman in the library in my head and began to laugh very quietly. By this point, I realized how much I looked like a crazy woman to the people around me. That is when this scripture came to mind. Mark 7:1-2 says that we should not judge others or we will be judged by the very same thing. I had to repent for judging the woman and from that point on, I sat quietly and read my text until I was ready to go home.
The lady in the library could have very well been mentally ill, or she could have been just like me. What was wrong with me? Well, I just was not ready to do the work. I was finding every excuse to do something else, which was not going to help me in the long run. So, I say this to my friends, family, and blog subscribers, “Things are not always what they appear to be. Rather than looking at the outside and passing judgments on people, pray for them instead.”

Advertisement