Friday Fight 40 - The Undertow of an Undertone

Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF40.

Imagine standing in the ocean with the sun on your face and the lovely sound of the approaching waves. As you stand there, you begin to struggle with the underlying current, a slight undertow pulling at your feet. At times, It challenges your stability. Now parallel this to questions or statements to you with tones of judgment. We find ourselves right back in that same place, being unexpectedly challenged.

The Undertow of an Undertone:
We all have conversations that we think about later while attempting to process the judgment spoken. Maybe it was a seemingly harmless joke or a passive-aggressive approach. Either way, we heard the undertone of judgment placing us in a vulnerable position. The waves are no longer enjoyable; they are pulling on us.

As a Christian, do you ever catch yourself thinking badly about a non-believer who searches elsewhere for peace? We are called to love others, not judge. After all, what does a non-believer learn about Christians when we judge them? Do they see our heart or the love of Christ?

Sadly a judgmental spirit can be consuming. Ever been judged by your level of faith or obedience to God? This happens so much and is heavily divisive.

Our free will can quickly become the free weight of others' judgment!

The Plan of Darkness:
Being judged diminishes us, makes us feel inadequate and causes us to focus on our believed shortcomings.

Our Fighting Stance:
Before speaking our thoughts, let's pause and use that 5-second rule! Then, ask ourselves if our words will benefit or harm the other person.

Often Christians begin by judging those who sin differently. If we are not careful, it can become habitual, and our mindset shifts. Then, we start judging those close to us as well.

Be careful. The negative undertone of judgment is loud, clanging, and can destroy a little more with each conversation. Let's focus on God and leave the judgment to Him. We don't want to bring instability to the precious children of God with our words.

Proverbs 21:2

Pastor Shannon
New Life Calvert