How Do We Judge?

 

 

How do we judge?

Notice I said we

For I am also including myself

In this company.

 

The company of believers

That is: the born again

That’s been wonderfully saved

In Jesus’ name.

 

Not the world at large

So, don’t be confused,

Thus, bear in mind my gravity;

I don’t mean to amuse.

 

 

Everybody judges:

Both saved and unsaved,

This is naturally human beings

And how we behave.

 

But the born again

Is where my focus is at,

How do we judge, I ask again,

Can you tell me that?

 

Notice I said judge,

You may say assess

But if you make them synonyms

You’ve flunked the test.

 

We do not assess,

We are jury and judge

And when we give our verdict,

We do not budge.

 

 

 

Clearly the above

Does not spell assess

And what is even more, we judge

According to the flesh.

 

How is it possible, you ask,

Being in the Spirit

But the flesh is still very present

And shows up as a habit.

 

Let us be honest

As we are expected to be,

The flesh wars against the Spirit

Whenever we are angry.

 

None of us is perfect

On account of the flesh

And sometimes we fail miserably

When facing a test.

 

Sometimes in a dispute

We tend to take a side,

As in a friend or family member

Whose guilt we try to hide.

 

 

We jump to conclusions

With little evidence

And often the first side we hear

Determines our bent.

 

Prejudging is prevalent,

One look tells me so,

I can see that he is the guilty one,

Just by looking, I know.

 

She would never do that

But he would for sure,

He’s been in the church for years

But wicked to the core.

 

Most of our judging

Is according to the flesh

Thus, I am guilty and so are you

So, it is here I rest.

 

 

Judge not says the Word

And here’s the reason why:

The flesh will often get in the way

And this we can’t deny.

 

Stewart Russell © October 31, 2024

 

Be Yourself

 

 

Be yourself!

That’s what I’ve been told

And that I have tried

Being quite bold.

 

I kind of knew

Who I was back then

But in these times

I have a problem.

 

I may be one thing

But I may feel differently,

Which self am I?

That’s the mystery.

 

It’s not as straightforward

As you may think,

Like boys are blue

And girls are pink.

 

I am trapped

In another’s body

And trying to get out

With much difficulty.

 

 

Be yourself!

Which self do you mean?

Who I came as

Or to whom I lean?

 

So when I am me

I am ridicule

Since by my exterior

That is the rule.

 

I know how I feel

But you do not

Yet, you judge me

Like you’re in my spot.

 

What I feel inside

I don’t look like outside

So I act what I feel

And me you chide.

 

 

“Be yourself!” you say

But you don’t have a clue

Yet you want to decide

Which self must do.

 

At times too

I don’t feel the same

And being myself

Might appear insane.

 

It’s very complicated,

I hope you see

Being yourself

Is not always easy.

 

I have this feeling

Going on the inside

That is far different

From the outside.

 

 Whatever I feel

Is really who I am,

I may look like Mary

But feel like Sam.

 

 To be myself is Sam

Certainly not Mary,

So back up, my friend

And don’t judge me.

 

The cry of one

Who is this confused,

Given this admonition

He won’t be amused.

Investigate a little

Before you advise,

In the times we live

That would be wise.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019

 

Praying or Prying?

 

 

 

You ask some people to pray

And they have to know for what

As though God must hear from them

As to what a person has got.

 

God does not need information

So, who really has to know?

More than likely it is they

So that they can tell someone so.

 

Praying or prying

Which of the two would it be?

Think my friend, when the request is made

And you would easily see.

 

Prying is my straight-up answer

And I make no apologies,

For God Almighty knows everything

And everything He sees.

 

If you must know my situation

In order to pray for me

I have no doubt you are prying

That’s what it has to be.

 

Yes, we can go to God

And intercede on a person’s behalf

But to claim that we must know

Is going down the wrong path.

 

And it is not praying amiss

If we do not have the details,

Just pray for the person’s wellbeing

And that is not likely to fail.

 

There is absolutely no need

To deprive someone of prayer

Unless that one is already dead

Or you just don’t really care.

 

A person should be free

To say if he thinks he should

And not be force to give any details

Based on how we judge.

Pray but do not pry

If the details are not available

And concerning any on social media

Please be very careful!

 

Stewart Russell © November 10, 2021

 

Silly Season

 

 

 

Silly season was the season

Usually at Christmas time

But with the advent of COVID

It’s always on one’s mind.

 

The PM referred to it

In these most recent times

And with an election in the air

It’s not easy to confine.

 

I consider her quite shrewd

Yet I was baffled by her call,

It’s like let’s go back to the polls

And see where the chips fall.

 

A calculated gamble, I guess,

But maybe not so,

She must be knowing something

That you and I don’t know.

 

Divisiveness and silliness

Appeared to be hand in hand

And it is the PM’s endeavour

To block any opposing plan.

 

I really don’t have a problem

With so-called strategic thinking

But an election in silly season

Gives me a weird feeling.

 

 

Exercising one’s voting right

Speaks to a responsibility

But in this silly season it follows

It’s the voters that are silly.

 

How responsible is the PM

To call an election now?

If she could convince me otherwise

To her wishes I would bow.

 

What does she expect

Particularly in this silly season?

Silliness from silly people no doubt

That are void of reason.

 

Was she therefore silly?

Her ringing of the election bell?

Regardless of the outcome

Who’d be able to tell?

 

Can a silly person judge another?

Or cast a responsible vote?

I dare say not if he is silly,

This would be good to note.

 

 

Silly people are impulsive

And hence impulsively they act,

If there was a divide before

A greater is coming back.

 

Was the PM impulsive?

Was hers an impulsive act?

No doubt we’ll know on the 19^th

But then we can’t go back.

 

All this might sound silly

After all, it’s silly season,

Judge this poem in whatever way...

It may be void of reason.

 

Silly season is every day

By some body or some group,

So, whether ‘B’ or ‘D’ or ‘APP’,

Soon we’ll know the truth.

 

 

I believe going forward

We’ll see how silly we have been,

The present is ours to decipher;

The future is never seen.

 

Whether the PM is silly

Or those she is targeting,

I am in no position to judge

Not from where I’m sitting.

 

But we’re in the silly season

The PM would have to know,

It’s her season, it’s her call,

It is her show!

  

When silly wears off

Sound reasoning begins,

Let’s pray and hope we are better

After the results are in.

 

Stewart Russell © January 9, 2022