When we go to restaurants or parks with Joshua, I feel like we are being observed and our actions and words are being judged by those around us. I am not sure if this is true or if I am oversensitive to the opinions of others. If I am being judged by others, this supposes that 1) they are actually thinking of/watching us and 2) they are thinking the ideas which I attribute to them.   While the first condition may be true, it is unlikely that they are thinking the exact thoughts I am imagining they are thinking.

When I tell people I struggle with depression, sometimes I wonder if someone is judging my faith or spiritual walk.  I don’t know. No one has actually said they feel spiritually stronger than I am because they don’t get stuck in cycles depression.

I suspect that no one likes to feel judged and that no one wants to feel assessed without understanding. Even if I sense the condemning gaze by another person, that does not mean God is condemning me.  He sees everything, and His judgment is always true. Unless another person’s opinion aligns with God’s, does it matter if they think I am not measuring up to their expectations or not doing something the way they think is right?

Only God fully knows what others are thinking and what their motivations are. Love believes the best.  God has showered me with grace upon grace. I want to extend this grace to others by not jumping to conclusions.

Galatians 1:10 Am I seeking the favor of men or of God? Am I striving to please men? If I am still striving to please men, I am not a bondservant of Jesus.