“For the measures with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” Lk 6:38
Treat others the way you want to be treated. I have been reflecting on how I have judged and treated people in the past and to be honest, the thought of being judged by those same metrics scares me. I have come to realize that the negative remarks I have about others are usually a reflection of insecurities I have about myself. Aspects of myself that I want to change. My negative views of others come from a place of hurt and that hurt can sometimes turn me into a version of myself that I am not proud of.
But that is the key, this world is filled of hurt people who hurt people and being able to understand that gives us the ability to see others in Gods eyes. We can start to see the pain people carry and we can come to sympathize with them, see them for who they are and not by who their pain has created them to be. This same logic also applies to ourselves. We can be quick to judge ourselves very harshly, especially when we are at our lowest points, but we have to come to the understanding that our past does not define who we are. Our past sins, shortcomings, and failures do not define who we are today nor the person who we will become tomorrow thanks to the mercy of our God. If God won’t judge us or others based on the pain of the past, why would we?
I came to this realization a while ago, people’s character and their hurt are separate, and it has truly opened up my heart to those around me. I’ve learned to love my neighbors even more because I have the ability to see people with Gods merciful eyes. While I’m not perfect, I have become more kind and understanding; less quick to judgment. I am growing in compassion more and more each day. The judgmental voice in my head has quieted down and I can hear Gods merciful voice instead. I no longer fear being measured by the same metrics I measure because my measurements are now grounded in love and understanding.
May God open up our hearts to those around us, especially to the people we find a little bit harder to love, and may He help us because less quick to judge, more compassionate, and help us grow in kindness.
— Anonymous