Good advice from the Preacher
I read a verse in Ecclesiastes today that struck a chord with me. (Ecclesiastes, for those not up on their Bible background, is a book written by Solomon, considered the wisest man of his age, and it contains all kinds of sage advice.) Anyway, here it is:

Eccl 7:21-22
21 Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 For many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.
NKJV

Ever take things too personally? Read motives into actions or words when they're not there, or maybe just take things too personally that people say either in the heat of the moment or when they thought no one could hear them? The writer's point is that all of us say things we may not really mean - or maybe deep deep down we mean them, but we're trying to overcome them just like we try to overcome any other type of temptation. Or maybe we're just looking too hard to find meaning where there isn't any.

Maybe the key is that we need to judge people like we want to be judged ourselves, and realize that we don't want to be known for our weakest moments, how we behave under the worst of circumstances, or to be judged based on the demons that we battle every day of our lives and to which we refuse to give place, even though they may tempt us and work hard to gain a foothold in our minds. And we need to know that our friend, our neighbor, for that matter even our adversary, may be battling those same things. I think that's what Jesus meant when he said "Judge not, that you be not judged." Anyway, that's something I want to work on this week.