I am a hypocrite.

In his graciousness, the Lord has been convicting me of a sin of mine that affects my relationships around me. In my pride, I am quick to judge. Quick to judge--and it's not people who aren't Christians that I judge rashly, but people who are Christians. I am quick to judge others in their walks with the Lord. And slow to judge my own hypocriticism. I want to be a woman who is slow to anger, slow to speak, quick to speak lovely not ugly.

But I am learning the truth of what the Lord asks of his people. That we walk in the love of Christ. The 2nd greatest commandment is to "love our neighbors as ourselves." And the Bible says that the world "will know us by our love for each other." We should be able to know ourselves too, by the love we have for each other.

Forgive me, because if you are reading this, I'm sure I have judged you before, whether or not I have said anything about it. And an online apology is foolish, but I really am learning how my words breed death when I judge according to my ideas and not righteous judgment as the Lord judges.

My desire is to honor the Lord and to SHOW the love of Christ that I "preach" but often don't "practice"--forgiveness and love. How do you forgive a friend or family member, a CHRISTIAN friend or family member, who disappoints you or sins against you? We can expect that the people who don't know Christ will sin and hurt us, but what about when it happens from a Christian? It's even harder to extend forgiveness. And I don't mean just when that person ASKS you for forgiveness, I mean when it is unbidden or sought after. Which is bitterly ironic because, of all people, we should be the ones who remember just how much the Lord forgave us, even in the face of death. He forgave Peter, his brother, for abandoning him. And he forgave those who killed him, me who killed him.

I am so thankful to the Father for Jesus Christ, my Lord.