Judge Not

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – (Matthew 7:1-2, NIV)

“Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. If you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others.” – (Matthew 7:1-2, ERV)

Jesus: If you judge other people, then you will find that you, too, are being judged. Indeed, you will be judged by the very standards to which you hold other people. – (Matthew 7:1-2, VOICE)

Now, more than ever, this is a relevant reminder. There is so much judging and finger-pointing going on over the various issues currently in existence, that it seems no solution is possible. However, that is not the truth. When we listen to learn, rather than to judge, there is opportunity for both sides to recognize how much more they have in common than they differ. Every human has a story and a history that has shaped their beliefs. Until we understand who a person is and what has shaped them, we cannot possibly comprehend the reason for the decisions they make. If we instead focus on seeking to do what is right, and truly listen to others, we will feel less inclined to judge and more inspired to love. We are all a work in progress. Imagine how much more progress all of us would make if we no longer worried about being judged and instead were able to focus on choosing to love… May we ever seek the Lord to lead us in love, not judgement, and then follow all that He asks of us.

 

Let’s choose not to judge,

What’s not fully known;

Instead, let’s seek love,

As the Lord has shown.

No one is perfect,

Without fault or sin;

So none are equipped,

To judge what’s within.

Rather let us love,

Choose listen and learn;

Identify strengths,

What’s given’s returned.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You first loved us. Thank You that Jesus did not come into the world to judge us, but rather to save us. Forgive us for every time that we have made a judgement about another, rather than sought to understand. Teach us to listen in love. Show us how to love when we struggle with the words, actions or decisions of others. Remind us again that You love us all, despite our shortcomings. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we are intentional to love and extend grace, not judgement. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

God sent His Son into the world. He did not send Him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through Him. – John 3:17

In Everything Choose Love

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” – (Matthew 7:12, NIV)

“Do for others what you would want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets. – (Matthew 7:12, ERV)

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior. Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.” – (Matthew 7:12, MSG)

This passage is a poignant reminder of how we ought to treat one another. To truly know what we should do in every circumstance, we need to place ourselves in the other’s shoes. How would we want to be treated if we were in the same situation or circumstance? If we are really being honest with ourselves, I am certain that kindness, compassion and love would be priorities. How do we go forth with the same heart? I know for myself, if I actually take pause and imagine how I would want to be treated, my heart softens and my words and actions more closely mirror a heart that seeks to love. The words Jesus spoke were not just for the disciples or the crowd of hearers around Him; this direction for interacting with others is meant to be for all times. It is far easier to treat others the way we want to be treated when the same is extended to us. However, Jesus did not place conditions on the expectation. We are charged with the task of love regardless of how we are treated. This applies at home, in the grocery store, and while we are out and about. The rule does not change when we are tired or frustrated or hurting, but rather it applies all the more. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us in love, compassion and kindness, so that we may treat others the way that we most want to be treated.

Treat one another,

With kindness and grace;

Seek love each other,

In all things, always.

The treatment we want,

Is what we need give;

Compassion, kindness,

Hope and love to live.

Lord, help us rise up,

Love people like You;

May Your goodness lead,

And Your love shine through.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You call and command us to love. Thank You that You take it further and explain to us that to love well, we must treat others in the same way that we desire to be treated. Forgive us for the times that kindness, compassion, grace and love have been absent from our interactions. Show and equip us to love one another the way that You so flawlessly and extravagantly love each of us. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You to help us love one another with the same goodness, kindness and grace that we desire from those around us. In Your holy Name, Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. – Romans 12:10

Give as You Long to be Given

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. – (Matthew 7:12, NIV) 

Do for others what you would want them to do for you. This is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets. – (Matthew 7:12, ERV) 

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get. – (Matthew 7:12, MSG) 

 

I love that the thing that the world considers “The Golden Rule”, is completely founded on Biblical principles. The challenging part is remembering to follow it in all things and at all times. The Word goes on to tell us further the specific attributes that support a life that does for others what we would have them do for us. To love as God loves us, leads us to extend love, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control to those around us. Most of the time, we get what we give. Of course, there are exceptions. However, I have found that the best way to diffuse anger or frustration is to extend kindness and gentleness. Often it stops the one struggling in their tracks, and causes them to pause and take a breath. When we know someone is for us and not against us, it makes all the difference in how we respond to them. May we ever seek the Lord to lead us in extending the same kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and love that He has given us, to all whom we encounter.  

 

May we choose to live,

Photo by Dee Jones of Open Door Photography ❤

By “The Golden Rule”; 

Doing for others, 

What shows God’s love true. 

Kindness and patience, 

Gentleness and love; 

Granted to others, 

Brings peace from above. 

Love diffuses fear, 

Frustration and gall; 

It shows faithfulness, 

As we hear God’s call. 

So, let us give love, 

To all whom we meet; 

What we’d like returned, 

For such love is sweet. 

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your Word instructs us in the way to live our best life. Thank You that You have shown us what such love looks like through the gift of Your Son. Forgive us for the times that we have not treated those around us in a way that we would want returned to us. Teach us to turn to You for the patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control that we need to love as You love us. Show us how to love all those around us according to Your definition of love, not our own. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we choose to love others as we are loved by You. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing,May 2011 – present 

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

Do As We Want Done

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. – (Matthew 7:12, NIV)

Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and the Prophets and this is what you get. – (Matthew 7:12, MSG)

This is what our Scriptures come to teach: in everything, in every circumstance, do to others as you would have them do to you. – (Matthew 7:12, VOICE)

 

When I am angry, frustrated or fed-up, I tend to still speak as calmly and as kindly as possible. Students are often baffled by this phenomenon, as they recognize that their behaviors and choices might warrant a different response. I think that I give what I would like to see returned, and that the truth of God’s word has deep roots that have a way of reeling in my response so that I reply much more gently than I would have done otherwise. This is not to say that I have perfected this method of interacting with others, yet it is a priority to try to choose love, even when what is given is far from it. On most occasions, kindness disarms the heat others are holding when it is extended, despite their own anger that is spewing out. In my own moments of frustration, the times that I have been met with loving kindness, those were the very examples that squelched the flame and left me looking at the real reason my circumstance was upsetting. May we seek the Lord and His loving kindness to fill us up, so that we may go forth and give to others what we would like given to us.

 

In all that we do, 

Let love lead the way;

Choose give to others,

At home, work and play.

For we are all called,

Do as we want done;

How we treat others,

Leads to battles won.

For goodness given,

Squelches anger’s heat;

Love that’s extended,

Brings hatred’s defeat.

So, choose to love well,

Do as we want done;

This is obeying,

Scripture’s rule-of-thumb.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You treat us with loving kindness; always. Thank You that You call us to do for others what we would like done unto us. Forgive us for not responding in a way that we would want to receive. Teach us to trust You more, so that we give to others what we would like to be given, regardless of what we think they deserve. Thank You that You give us mercy and grace, though we are not deserving. Help us to do the same. Show us how to love those around us in the same way that we desire to be loved. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we do unto others what we would want done unto us, in everything and every circumstance. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. – Job 8:21

Ask. Seek. Knock.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. – (Matthew 7:7-8, NIV)

Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. – (Matthew 7:7-8, ERV)

 

In this passage, Jesus was reminding His followers to be persistent in their pursuit of God. Just because we don’t see answers right away, does not mean that we are to give up and let go of the very thing we are asking. Often it is a matter of us continuing to seek faithfully, trusting that the One whom we seek, hears and will answer in His perfect timing. God is never late, yet again and again, we grow impatient and quit asking or seeking before He is done developing our resolve to persevere. This is where being rooted in the body is so important. We can come alongside one another and encourage each other to continue in our quest for answers, wisdom and open doors. May we rise up with resolve to keep asking, searching, seeking and knocking, so that we may continue to find direction and answers according to His good and perfect will.

 

We must first choose ask, 

For answers to come;

Our God is faithful,

The All-Knowing One.

Each time we seek Him,

The Lord we shall find;

He’s always ready,

With our hearts in mind.

When we choose to knock,

He opens new doors;

Shows us the new paths,

We’re meant to explore.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we ask, You hear our prayers and provide answers. Thank You that as we seek You, we find You. Thank You for Your faithfulness to open new doors as we knock, and make Yourself known in our pursuit of You. Forgive us for not persevering in our quest to discover more of You – be it answers, wisdom or direction for our lives. Teach us to trust You in the process, so that we will persevere, no matter how long it takes to discover the answers we seek. Show us how to love and come alongside those who are in need of knowing You or Your will, so that we may encourage and lift one another up to persevere. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we ask, seek and knock all of our days, so that we may always pursue the path that follows Your ways. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. – 2 Corinthians 3:5

As We Ask, He Answers

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. – (Matthew 7:7-8, NLT)

Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. – (Matthew 7:7-8, ERV)

 

Sometimes I forget that the way to walk in His will and see hopes and dreams that He has planted come to fruition, involves first and foremost, our faithful pursuit of Him. It is easy to get so caught up in all of the things that need to be done to get from here to there, that we neglect our need to seek and ask our Savior what we ought to do next. He opens the doors that lead the direction to which we are called. If we are not asking, it is equally likely that we are not listening for answers. God has promised to hear all who call on His Name, and be found by all who seek Him. May we go forth this day, seeking and asking for the answers that our hearts need to know; for He is faithful to hear us and respond according to His good and perfect will.

 

Lord, teach us to ask,

You’re faithful to hear;

You give us good gifts,

As we choose draw near.

It is through seeking,

That we truly find;

God, You are waiting,

You’re loving and kind.

Keep knocking on doors,

That He leads us to;

And watch them open,

As His path’s pursued.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that as we ask, You answer. Thank You that when we seek You, You are found. Thank You that You open the doors that we are meant to walk through as we move forward in the direction to which we feel called. Forgive us for not seeking or asking when we need answers and Your help. Teach us to trust You more so that we would come to You in all things and at all times, knowing that You are faithful to hear us and help us, opening the doors that we are meant to walk through. Show us how to love those around us in a way that demonstrates Your goodness and faithfulness. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek and ask and knock on the doors that appear before us, trusting You to lead us where we are meant to go. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. – James 5:13

Wise Builders

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against the house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock.” – (Matthew 7:24-25, ERV)

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the wind beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” – (Matthew 7:24-25, NLT)

 

The foundation on which we build our lives, matters. If we seek the Lord and pursue understanding as we walk in obedience to His ways, we establish the foundation of who we are in Him, who cannot be shaken. Though storms will come, as they inevitably do, when we are firmly rooted in Christ, even the scariest of storms may shake us, but it will not destroy us. He upholds us through the wind and waves, and grants us safety in the storm. Christ keeps us and cares for us, despite the seemingly destructive force around us. May we listen to His voice and obey all He asks, as His word and His way are the foundation that set our lives secure to withstand every storm.

 

True wisdom displayed,

is through how we build;

our true foundation,

where our hearts get filled.

If we seek the Lord,

pursuing His ways;

we won’t be shaken,

on the stormy days.

For our God remains,

steadfast and secure;

true place of safety,

when all is unsure.

Let our hearts delight,

in Christ we can trust;

in Him we’ll remain,

marked as God with us.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we build our lives listening and obeying You, we have a firm foundation that will not fall when the storms of life come our way. Thank You that You are God with us, when all is being tossed and turned about. Thank You that You keep us steady and secure, regardless of what is going on around us. Forgive us for taking our eyes off of You and fixing our gaze on the storm. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would see the storm and recognize that it is simply another opportunity to see Your mighty power at work in us and around us as You lead us through it. Show us how to love others well, as they feel stranded in their own storms. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be exalted O God, as we listen and obey what You have to say, so that we establish a firm foundation in You. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy. – Hebrews 4:16

Asking, Seeking, Knocking, Finding

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – (Matthew 7:7-8, NLT)

 

Our prayers can only be heard and answered if we actually pray them. Hope and desire are good things, yet it is only in the asking, seeking and actively pursuing God, that we find Him. God hears our prayers and is ready to answer if we are willing to come before Him. Though He may not answer in the way we anticipate, our prayers never fall on deaf ears. He always hears. When we earnestly seek Him, we find God. His peace and His presence are readily available everywhere – we have to be willing to slow down and seek, in order to find. To keep moving the direction He has called, we have to keep pressing forward. Though God calls us in a direction, it does not mean that the path will be easy or that every door will be open along the way. Our charge and our challenge is to remain dependent on Him, so that we will knock on closed doors to discover if we are meant to go through, or find another way around. He is faithful to show us the way, if we are willing to ask Him for direction. May we seek the Lord, asking Him for the answers we need to know. May we find courage to knock on closed doors, and discover the doors we are meant to walk through. Amen.

 

When we choose to ask,

’tis how we receive;

we find in the seeking,

in Christ we believe.

For knocking on doors,

is how we shall find;

where we need walk through,

and from where to hide.

Doors will not open,

if we never knock;

prayers go unanswered,

if we never talk.

May voices be raised,

in faith, let us pray;

seek, knock, ask and find,

He’ll show us the way.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that when we seek You, we find You. Thank You that when we ask of You, You hear our prayers and You answer. Thank You that as we knock on doors before us, You open the ones that we are meant to walk through. Forgive us for not presenting our prayers before You, or for lacking persistence in our seeking and knocking, even when we know that You hold the answers that we need. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would slow down, seek, ask and knock, wherever we need to hear from You. Show us the way to completely rely on You, so that we go forth and love others in a way that points people unto You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we seek You and ask You for answers, trusting You to show us the direction that we are meant to go. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present.

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19