I am sitting here judging you..
I apologize ahead of time. I know it’s really crappy and very un-Christian of me. But I am just being honest. Your tattoos, piercings, and funky colored hair baffle me. I notice you didn’t wash your hands before you exited the bathroom, and how you lost your temper in the checkout line. Oh, and I can look in your shopping cart and see what the problem is with your unruly toddler. Sugary cereal, pop-tarts, soda, overflow in the cart, with absolutely no produce to be found. I see you are greeted by a barking dog that is locked up in the car with no windows cracked, You load your bags of processed food into the backseat that is littered with fast food cups and old french fries. I watch in horror as you light a cigarette and leave it dangling from your lips as you buckle your little one in their seat without tightening the straps.
I roll my eyes and climb into my car as I sip my frappacino. A car pulls into the handicap spot beside me.
And I am sitting here judging you.
You look to be about my age, but your body has clearly never birthed a baby, I avert my eyes as you adjust your manufactured breasts to keep them from spilling over the top of your size 00 designer cami. I see you primp your blonde hair in the rearview mirror of your 2 seater convertible that probably costs more than my house. As rap music blares from the speakers I notice as you mouth along to lyrics that would make Jay-Z blush.
I do not vocalize my disapproval, although it is probably written all over my face. I don’t snap a pic and post it on People of Walmart. I do not text my bff and tell them the bizarre scene I just witnessed. I sit in my clean, air conditioned, suburban and relish in the fact that I am not you. Either one of you. I might even say a little “thank you Jesus” type prayer for the blessings of good hygiene, well-behaved kids, and a husband that gets my car washed every weekend. Thank God I am not a materialistic, childless, lover of rap music. And the prayer makes me feel even better about myself.
No sin satisfies the flesh quite like self-righteousness.
I have been thinking a lot lately about self-righteousness. It is easy for me to spot this nasty attribute in others, especially when it is directed against me. But, I always feel justified in judging other people. I am quick to validate my disapproval of others. I can veil it with my concern for their children or my fear for their souls.
But, truly, I am disgusted with my thoughts. Why do I feel I am any better than this mom at the grocery store? Or this woman in the convertible? How can I stop the madness of this critical spirit?
