by Melissa Logan, CEO & President with the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina
Have you ever felt judged? Have you ever been hurt? Have you ever hurt someone’s feelings?
If you are like me, your answer is yes to all of the above: judgment, shame, embarrassment, anger and hurt.
The hurt replays in my head, and even worse, lays a heavy burden in my heart.
Unfortunately, I’m not without sin; my actions and words have wreaked the same havoc on someone else, too.
And yes, those replay and cause great regret.
We aren’t always going to make the best choices or do the right thing.
Thankfully, we have a great model to look to; we can look to the life of Jesus.
Recently I walked through the temple court area and sat on the steps leading up to space where Jesus met a woman accused of sin.
The scene replays in my mind of Jesus facing the scared woman there, writing on the ground with a non-judgmental attitude towards her.
Jesus makes it seem so simple; don’t judge others – give grace.
Let’s pause on the words of grace and forgiveness.
We might think these just happen in our minds when we say, “I forgive you.”
However, it’s deeper than that.
Grace and forgiveness are also heart issues.
Hurt, shame, sin – these happen in the heart, are costly, harmful and so heavy.
I find that while I’m able to give grace to others, I’m not as generous with myself. I’m working on it.
How about you? What forgiveness of sins do you need to give yourself?
Releasing the emotional heart-hurt is freeing; it’s uplifting in spirit, mind, and body.
Our hearts and mind (and lives) were meant for joy, gratitude, love, and peace.
We have a choice on how we show up every day to ourselves, our family and friends, to the world, and most importantly to Jesus.
Choosing to show up with the grace of Christ allows you to shine the light of God’s forgiveness in the world.
May you be the light, like living stones who you drop the judge-stones, and may you choose grace every day.
At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.
They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus near steps to the temple court in Jerusalem [Gospel according to John, 8.2-11]
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Click here for the entire devotion series as a downloadable PDF booklet.
