I Use My Walk

I know a few people with tattoos reading, “Don’t Judge Me.”  Some of these individuals have spent considerable time before actual judges.  It is virtuous for a person to be non-judgmental, but it is impossible for a person to go through life making no value judgments.  Put another way, it is necessary for a person to be able to distinguish between good and evil, good and better, better and best, but unnecessary for a person to adopt a negative casts on life and individuals.  We can make judgments without being judgmental.

Some who adopt the “don’t judge me” attitude are, sadly, covering inappropriate behaviors.  We all feel a little guilty because everybody has done something they’re not proud of, and, in a politically-correct society, “don’t tread on me” is an unchallenged defense.  Still, is it improper to look at the way people live and draw conclusions about them? Many will say they are better than their actions (some truth in that), but it doesn’t much satisfy the teller or the hearer. 

We can’t continually make leaps of faith between our best selves and our worst acts.  The two must have some kind of connection. Jesus said you could spot timber by the fruit it bore.  A good tree bears good fruit. Look at a person’s life long enough, and you can see right into their heart.  Fallenness keeps us from fulfilling all our ideals, but the general trend of a life reveals the nature of the person living it.  In days gone by, we called Christ-like behavior the “Christian walk.” How a person lives reveals what they are.

The Bible is simple and complex at once.  It contains concise principles and instructions that cover every life situation.  There’s a lot to God’s Word which takes time and learning to apply, but basic morality is pretty plain.  Though people make mistakes, the general thrust of one’s life becomes clear over time. And it’s an accurate indicator of who you’re dealing with.  It’s not being self-righteous or judgmental to say that people should “walk their talk.” We’re not the ultimate judges of anyone, but we are observers of habituation.

I’ve wasted a lot of energy jumping to conclusions, but I’m learning to strike the balance.  I want to exercise practical wisdom and still be happy and upbeat. Personally, I’d like to think that I’m better than some of the things I’ve done (and repented), but my life has been a testimony of human nature and divine nurture.  God forgives those sins we commit to Him, but He expects us to walk worthy of that forgiveness. Our lives are continuums. Rivers that flow. Others see our individual acts, but understand us by our walks.

Sterl