I was 19 years old. Yep, that's right, I was just a 19-year-old girl who, oddly enough, was working full-time for an infertility specialist when I found out I was pregnant. You should also know that I was very much involved in my church and our praise team at that point. Man, I was so shaken by that positive pregnancy test. I knew exactly what that meant: I had sinned, and my sin was getting ready to be brought to light. I was a hypocrite; at least, that's how I felt. I had allowed feelings to override my walk with God. I was so scared of the embarrassment this may bring to my family, the judgment I'd face from my peers and the unknown of being a young mother. Y'all, don't let the devil and the judgment of others torment your mind like that! God still loved me, the friends that mattered were still there for me. My family still loved me and was so eager to meet our new little blessing.
Matthew 7:3-5 " Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye, 'when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?"
I got married and five months later gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, just two weeks shy of my 20th birthday. Of course, people judged me. Of course, I heard the things people were saying about me. I also knew things about those who were judging me, and I knew in my heart they had no right! Ya know, that verse up there about the sawdust and the plank?? But, it wasn't my place to call out their sin any more than it was for them to call out mine. You know what though? The God that I felt I had betrayed, forgave me and blessed me immensely. The love I felt when they laid that baby in my arms surpassed anything else I'd ever known, aside from the day I accepted Christ into my heart. That beautiful baby girl is now 23 years old and has a little girl of her own. Making me a first-time Mimi. Who but, GOD??
At 21 years old, I gave birth to another baby girl who is now 21! It's so hard to believe she's the same age I was when I had her. God gave me two daughters. He completely restored my life and gave me two little besties while he was at it. What kind of love is that, y'all? ONLY GOD!! And oh my goodness, the love I have for those two has absolutely taken my life down the most exciting and amazing roads. The very fast and beautiful 23 years of being a mother have taught me so much. In a lot of ways, I grew up with my girls and it's been such a joy. Not always perfect, but always perfectly imperfect.
Take Heart, Daughter
John 4:5-30 - The Woman at the Well
I'm sure y'all have heard the story of the woman at the well. Jesus asked her to get her husband, He already knew what she was going to say next. He knew she had been married five times and was living with a sixth man. Just imagine what the people of Samaria said about her and how much they judged her. But, do you know what Jesus did? He used that very woman to spread the good news to all those people that He was, in fact, the Son of God! He took her from being a nobody to making her someone everyone listened to when she told them about Jesus. I imagine the huge change He must have made in her that people actually believed what she was saying without question. In true Jesus fashion, He lifted her up and took her from being a woman who was judged and hated by her people to being a woman of her word! Jesus did reveal Himself to her, and He forgave her. Jesus came into her life with the purest form of compassion and empathy. (McLelland, Kristi. Jesus and Women in the First Century. Lifeway Press, 2022) Just do the study, you won't regret it!!
Matthew 9:20-22 - Life is Restored
The woman with the blood disease had so much faith in Jesus that she made her way through a crowd of people who judged her because she knew if she could just touch the hem of His garment, she'd be healed! Jesus turns and says "Who has touched me?" Can you imagine what she must have felt in that moment? Not only was she in the crowd of people who made her feel like a monster because of their judgment and because she was "unclean," but now she had to admit in front of them that she was the one who touched Jesus. But her faith was so strong she just went for it. Jesus then turns to her and says "Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you." Wow...Just wow!! At that very moment, Jesus restored her life, He didn't care what others said or thought! She was healed!!
At some point in our lives, we have all suffered through the judgment of others. At 19,
I was caught red-handed, there was no denying my sin. I didn't need others to tell me I had sinned-believe me, I knew! Even still, I was going to have that baby, and I was going to hold my head up high because me and Jesus already had our talk; He forgave me and was going to see me through regardless of what others said about me. He has shown up in my life time and time again like that and He wants to do that for you, too.
I will say it this way: we all sin, and no one is absent from it except for Jesus. So, whatever you're going through in your life right now, if others judge you, guess what? They are in that sin with you. A sin is a sin; no ifs, and's, or buts about it! If you're the one doing the judging, keep this in mind - chances are, those you're judging already know their sin and don't need your help feeling worse about it. So, unless you're there to offer some Godly advice, pray for them or lend a helping hand, mind ya business. John 7:24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement." When we fail to demonstrate love and grace because we are too busy condemning others for their failures, then we've completely missed the entire point of God's instruction! Casting judgment IS NOT our responsibility. Let's not mess up our future by judging someone else's past! It ain't worth it, y'all!
TESTimony
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."
I don't know about you, but that verse is pretty clear and so matter-of-fact to me! Now, listen before I surrendered my life completely over to God, it was very easy to get caught up in judging others or idle gossip, if I'm honest there's still times I find myself in those types of conversations. However, I do my best to shut it down and not let it turn into something that would make someone feel the same way I've felt before when I was the topic of conversation.
I truly believe that when we face life's toughest tests, God will turn them into testimonies. He isn't gonna bring us through those trials just so we can kick someone else while they're down and judge them. He brings us through those trails to show us how to help that person in need, share our testimony, and be a light for Jesus. We've all been there. I've sinned many times in my life, this post is just one example of my sin, it wasn't the first time I had sinned and it sure wasn't the last. I'll be the first to admit that I am far from perfect. It's because of that, I know for a fact that what we do in darkness will be brought to light. BUT GOD!! He is there, ready to wipe our slate clean, restore us, and lift us straight out of that shame. He is waiting, ready to greet us with forgiveness, grace, and love.
Friend, stop being so hard on yourself, no one is perfect, not even the person that feels they have the right to judge you. Take heart! God is the only one who can judge us - YOU need to know that as the sinner and as the judger because they are two in the same. If we are true followers of Christ we should not fear what others say about us or their opinions of us, but we should examine our own planks before trying to remove someone else's sawdust. We live for an almighty and Just God. Where would I be if I let the judgment of others keep me from having my baby 23 years ago? Just the thought of that breaks my heart! God fixes hearts, He doesn't break them. He knew my future, He knew I would love what He had in store for me and He was right! He has something great in store for you, too; keep looking up. Trust in Him and Him alone!!
Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man brings snare, but He who trusts in the Lord will be exalted."
This was not the post I had planned for this week, but as I was praying over the original post, God changed it up on me. So, I don't know who this is for or why God wanted me to tell my story, but I do know this: God wants you. He doesn't care where you are in your sin, He can and He will rescue you from it. God will show those judging you how awesome He is by generously lifting you up to complete restoration and making you shine in His name. Who knows, your story may be the very thing that changes that judgmental persons heart and makes them truly fall in love with Jesus, what a "test"imony that would be!
Sister, do not let others judgement or opinions distract you from God's plan, He will bring you out of the trenches-HE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN!
Your not-so-perfect friend, Michelle