“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6 37-38
I’ve read and heard these verses many times.
I’ve heard them used to manipulate. “Give a lot of money to the church and God will reward you.”
I guess that’s the Bible’s get-rich-quick advice.
I’ve heard them used to frighten. “If you judge others, God will judge you.”
So if I don’t judge others, God won’t judge me? Not so sure about that one, either.
I wonder if Jesus was saying something pretty simple. I wonder if He was telling us, “What goes around, comes around.”
I think He might have been telling us that the way to find generosity is to be generous and the way to experience forgiveness is to be a forgiver.
He wasn’t manipulating, because that’s not how He operates. He was just telling us how the world works.
The key is to understand that it’s not about changing someone else. When I’m generous or forgiving, when I resist the urge to condemn, my own heart is changed.
It’s not a magic formula. You don’t become suddenly wealthy by giving away your money. You don’t prevent someone from judging when you don’t judge.
But in the long run, I think He’s telling us that our hearts are changed with the same measure we use.
Maybe I ought to pray less about receiving and more about discovering opportunities to give. Maybe experiencing God’s blessing involves seeking ways to be a blessing to others.
What goes around … comes around.