Let it Go!

Cindy Sproles says, "I feel sure my cell phone has developed a southern accent. Every time a message drops into my mail box, my smart phone says, 'Droid.' Today I would bet you money it said, 'Draaa-royy-ddd.' My mind is surely playing tricks on me.

When you’re born below the Mason-Dixon line, folks tease you about your accent. Thanks to cartoons and comedians, if you host a southern accent, people make certain assumptions.

For instance, when I lived above the Mason-Dixon line, I was in the grocery store with my kids. The boys and I chatted while we waited our turn in the line when a man behind me said, 'You aren’t from around here are you?'

'No. I’m a southerner.'

'Yeah. So did your daddy make moonshine in your back yard?'

I replied like any good southerner. 'No that was across the state line.'

I’m the first to know I have an accent. But when others judge me and my intelligence by an accent…it stings. I recently dealt with a customer service rep from India. I didn’t think he was stupid because of his accent. He was quite polite. But I couldn’t understand him so we spent a great deal of time spelling words. It was the clash of the accents… mountain verses Indian accent.

Despite the accent wars, this guy got things done. He replaced my laptop. His accent had nothing to do with his ability to accomplish the task.

Jesus, better than anyone, understood what it meant to be judged. From His own experience He tried to teach others how painful it could be. He underwent a judgment that not only broke His heart, but took His life.

Judgment is hard both parties – the one being judged and the one doing the judging. I’m not sure anyone ever really wins either. Someone will always walk away unhappy. Someone will always feel they’ve been treated unfairly. Either way, we’re asked to seek after forgiveness even when the seeking is hard.

God knows we’re imperfect. All He asks is that we love one another and leave the rest to Him. When you find yourself playing judge and jury, remember the one who was judged in your place."

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Posted 7/7/12 by Cindy Proles on "He Said, She Said"

Used by permission of ChristianDevotions.us.

[As we can't stop what others have done that hurt us, we need to understand that we don't have to deal with it, but, let it go! To keep remembering it only devastates us and can cause us to feel defeated. Speak words of faith, found in Scripture, to counteract the lies which come to our minds.]

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Matthew 7:2 NIV

Today’s treasure truth #23: If you are “born again”, you are blessed w/ all spiritual blessings. (Eph. 1:3)

Our thought for today:  We'll need to own up to our mistakes. With a new heart, we can live in newness of life!

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Tomorrow’s post: Time to Shout: Prayer Note #63