Pampered Princess: Stop Judging Others!

Do you ever find yourself feeling a bit "better than" those other worldly people? After all, we're Christian royalty, right? Well, Christ is the "royalist" of all the royalty and he spends more time serving than being served. Unlike the religious teachers of His time, He was comfortable in the presence of everyone. Can we say the same? I know that often times I fall short in this area.

In relation to this topic, I found the following little illustration and wanted to share it with you. I hope it serves as good reminder to not judge a book by its cover. God is the only one who can see our hearts. As Princess Warriors for Christ, we best be loving rather than judging. Amen!?


"Judging Books! (10.20.05--That Person!--Esther 3:5-6) The other day, a Jehovah's’s witness came to my door. I’ve seen them many times in the past as they slowly travel down my driveway and descend upon my doorbell. I know what differentiates my faith from theirs and have learned stock answers to their statements that usually sends them packing in a matter of minutes.

But, this time it was different. When I opened the door I actually looked into the eyes of the middle-aged man who stood with a an open tract in his hands and saw not the enemy, but a man just like me. Maybe his car had broken down yesterday or perhaps he and his wife had had words that morning. I didn’t know. But I was compelled somehow to shake his hand and invite him in.

I had been thinking about the following story. A schoolteacher decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One afternoon a water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared, and alone. No one seemed interested in helping. Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, “Please God, send me an angel, preferably one with mechanical experience.”

Within four minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattooed arms. He jumped off and went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the freeway onto a side street, where he calmly continued to work on the water pump.

The intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to talk. As he finished the task, she finally got up the courage to say, “Thanks so much.” Noticing her surprise, he looked her straight in the eye and mumbled, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared. (Larry D. Wright)

Judging books by their covers has become a national pastime of sorts for many. We put people not like us into a box and then shut the cover. They’re never able to crawl out because we aren’t willing to open the doors of our hearts. God’s Word teaches us that prejudice such as this grows out of personal pride (Esther 5:5-6). We put ourselves over others not because of what we know but because of what we don’t know.

I spent a good half an hour talking with that Jehovah’s witness that day. We shared stories of middle age and life. I let him touch my faith that day believing that it would never be the stock answers that turned him to faith in Christ but that it would be the love of Christ itself working in me. An open box gives God more room to work than one we have closed."


I hope this story reminded you like it did me that loving is better than judging. God bless you!

Just Because

When I found this lovely design on my new favorite "play" site, polyvore.com, I just had to share it with you. I plan on creating some of my own designs soon. Take a peek at my 9/11 Message at http://www.princesswarrior.bravejournal.com/.

Don't forget to watch for the next post on removing the Tough Girl Mask.

The Refiner's Fire

The story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study. While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study.

The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined.

The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that’s easy - when I see my image in it."


So, we must remember that although it can be uncomfortable, even painful, when God works on us, it's ultimately for His glory.