on judging and being judged...

we all do it...say something judgemental...sometimes without even realizing it.
we're human after all, right? we all make mistakes right? right.
and there are those times when we are on the other end of the stick...being judged by someone else.
doesn't feel good, does it?  we all cry "foul," and place blame on everyone else.

what does God do when we make a mistake? He forgives us in all His infinite Grace and Mercy.
shouldn't we extend that same grace and mercy to our fellow beings? certainly!
but do we always? no.

i know we cannot control what others say, or how our words will affect them. 
so perhaps we should focus on what we can control...ourselves. we can control what comes out of our mouths, and what doesn't. we can control how we say what comes out of our mouths as well.  i.e., with kindness, goodness, mercy, and self-control.  and we can also control how we react to what someone says to us.

ask yourself before you speak...is it kind? is it true? is it necessary?  if you answer "yes" to all those, then speak your mind.  if you answer "no" to any of those, then perhaps you should re-think your answer, and pray about it some more.  just sayin'.