Do you understand that you will be judged by the same standards by which you judge others? Do you assume that you will wait until the final judgment for this to take place? I assure you that you won’t have to wait that long. Have you ever heard someone spewing forth harsh and bitter judgments against others? Don’t you see it as a blatant invitation to watch them closely and look for opportunities to apply the same standards to them? This is a universal principle that also applies to you. Do you see this as a deal to overlook evil in others that they might overlook it in you? This principle is not meant to be a license to sin. Judge not (others) but judge yourself that you may not be judged.

Have you ever walked a beaten path? This is a familiar term for a route taken by many people through an otherwise undisturbed area. They wear a path that is visible from use. It is easy to walk on the beaten path and you can do this without thinking. This metaphor is more often used for routes and pathways through life, but the parallels are strong. Walking in the footsteps of the crowd doesn’t require much thought in terms of route finding or deliberate intention. Yet I want you to be fully engaged in your own life. The path I have for you is unique and you will not find it by being swept along with the crowd. Seek me and I will show you the path I have set before you. Don’t worry if you seem to be walking alone for I am always with you.

Do you see things the way they are? Or do you see things the way you are? Could you tell the difference between clear perception and distorted perception if it was your own perception? No one thinks that they do not see clearly, but how would you know? Would you know if you had a log in your own eye? I recommended that you remove the log from your own eye before you volunteered to assist your brother in removing  the speck from his eye. This is a strong illustration and should get your attention. If you want to see clearly start with the assumption that your own views are influenced by something and make no judgments until you know what it is.

You know that your car will not move while it is in neutral. What about you? You do not normally think of people as being in gear or not, but you bring your own past to the present moment with all the experiences you have had to date. These can be a hindrance if  they have given you preconceptions and narrow biased perspectives. If everything you encounter falls into neat categories previously assigned you should be suspicious of the way you view the world. If you can release these things you are in a better position to see things as they really are and learn and grow from them. You need to be in neutral if you want to move forward.