Lynnette Photo & Design

“Do not judge”

Matthew 7:1-6 (NLT)
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

The Lord doesn’t direct us to simply not judge, but instead to not put ourselves in a position of judging another as THE Judge. We may, however, bring up and convict our fellow brothers and sisters – as long as we do so in a loving manner that is with intentions of sharpening them; not to tear them down. Many times we find ourselves in a position of feeling condemned and out of place or putting others in a place to be an outcast with conditions that are not of God.

Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Jesus is not saying “Never Judge.” He is teaching us to LOVINGLY judge.

In a society where we all bear the heavy burdens and temptations by a serpant who glides into our lives through the most luring and delicious tactical ways – we tend to overlook the deeper intentions God has designed us and our power of fellowship. Our eyes are blinded by the desire to get others to simply understand OUR view of what we may see; while also forgetting the importance of being accountable for our own faults. What we should be reflecting on is a convicting love that reflects Gods fruit over our own earthly fruit. This begins with opening our ears(and eyes) and obeying his commands to self-reflect and humble ourselves with our perspectives to not be of our own flesh, but of HIS spiritual guidance.

[Etymology] Serpent: Entered the English language in the 13th century from old french➡️ Latin: Serpentem (Serpens) – “creeping thing” or “distinguished animal” ➡️ ALSO Proto -Indo-Eropean: Selp- (to creep or to glide)

[Definition] Serpant: (A) Snake (B) a subtle, treacherous, malicious person.

It’s important to recognize the etymology & definition in order to realize just how the enemy “glides” into our minds daily and the relation to the descriptive wording.

Pain, greed, lust, glutony, dispair, and so many other decieving temptations lay in all of us; and it’s by far easier to identify these trademarks in others before we identify it within ourselves. We need eachother for this powerstruggle in order to grow, heal, and find His freedom.

When you’re part of the kingdom of God, it’s important to remember we are called to rise up and come together for eachother in good and bad times. God is regularly stopping us to remind us it is NOT our job to fix things, but it is our job to be His hands and feet and bring these troubling situations to Him – especially with intercession.

1 Timothy 2:1-6, 8 (NLT)
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

There is a Freedom we are gifted as well

The gift of letting go.

There is such profound healing and freedom in that realization. When you become busy in life and carry so much on your heart, mind, and even the stress you place on your physical body – we find ourselves in a default mode to try and manage everything. This isnt limited by focusing on our own selves, but it inclues other people’s hearts, responses, and spiritual growth. In Matthew 7:1-6 we discover God gives us permission to lay that exhausting tool down.

Matthew 7:6 (NLT)
“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Luke 9:60 (NLT)
But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Psalms 55:22 (NLT)
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

We do not need to be validated, or require others to be validated by us. You don’t have to keep pushing the TRUTH onto others who know better, and continue to reject His truth. We’re actually instructed to not throw our “pearls to the pigs”, and when we accept that, its freeing.

Pray, Don’t Press.

Your calling isn’t to push through a brick wall; it is to remain faithful to the Lord, pray over those around you, and trust that God is the one in control of their hearts.

Trust the Sovereign Hand

God doesn’t call on you to change, fix, or even be THE person who leaves the impact in every life around you, however he does call on your to be faithful to Him. He will reach each person in the right way, at the right time, in THEIR right season when they are ready to call on HIM.

You can step out of the middleman position and let the Holy Spirit do the work that only He can do.

Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

James 3:2, 17 (NLT)
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

Caring for the log and the Pearl

Lets look inward first. Looking inward might mean recognizing where you’ve been running on empty, over-functioning, over-thinking, overstepping, over-wanting and trying to carry a load that belongs to God in the first place.

Your own correction of the “log” you have isn’t a harsh blame on you—it’s a loving, convicting reminder/ invitation from Christ to stop trying to play the Savior in the lives around you, or even in your OWN home!

Our heart, feelings, and physical bodies are precious pearls. He calls on us to take care of ourselves, and its so easy to forget, disregard, or envoke falshoods on ourselves or others around us of whats expected. Maybe its even trying to force an understanding on yourself or others. Stepping away from that burden however, isn’t giving up or “not being Christ-like”- No, instead it is biblical wisdom.

It is recognizing when to walk away from something that pulls you away from your calling, and to release that to God by remaining faithful in what HE can do.

Psalms 46:10 (NLT)
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

[Translation] “Be Still”: Hebrew “raphah”; to slacken

[Definition] Slacken: to loosen ➡️ [synonyms] relax, ease, detach, unbind, free

Resting in the Trenches

You can fully rest in His hands. The world will not fall apart if you stop trying to fix everything, or if you stop listening to the worlds expectations. Your identity is rooted in a divine purpose that doesn’t change based on how much you can correct or how well you are understood by human hearts.
Let the love of the LORD wash over you like a warm blanket and remember:

You are not the judge.

You are not the fixer.

You are simply His cherished child, and He has told you that you can leave the rest to Him.

Permission To Walk Away “Do not judge” Matthew 7:1-6 (NLT)“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which…

You are not the Judge.
You are not the Fixer.
You are simply HIS cherished child, and He has called you to leave the rest to him.

Super excited to be at the Mount Vernon Vendor Market tomorrow!! 10am-2pm with lots of vendors and fun for everyone!!

😬 When he says to do something, you listen! Super excited to work more on this ♡

Here's the sneak peak of He Calls Me By Name which is directed towards pre-teen through teenagers, but perfect for anyone wanting to hear him call them!

Happy Mothers Day! 🌸

I pray God places His hand over each mom who reads this, and I pray for the moms who come to mind for those who read this.

You are enough. ♡
You are loved. ♡
You're appreciated.♡
Your worth is more than your title. ♡
Your best isn't going to look like someone else's expectations. ♡

Whatever season you're going through in motherhood, remember these 3 things.

1. Seasons change.
2. You're human.
3. You are a valuable Gift!

Super excited to share that Ill be joining local events more! Next being Mount Vernon Vendor Market! So excited to step towards a bigger goal while supporting the community too!

Super exciting updates coming soon with Seeds Of Peace with amazing small businessess who joined in and added some goodies!

EBOOOK SALE! This month only to celebrate Mothers Day! Only $2.99 in May!

https://books2read.com/u/b5ylpl

Over these next few days as I clean up post storm debris I may not post! Praying for everyone whose been affected by it!