March 29, 2026

Our worth is in God’s eyes; He who created us filled us with talents and an ability to love and change the world. We undervalue ourselves when we accept other people’s judgement or opinion instead of God’s viewpoint. It makes our earthly journey more difficult. We are perfect in God’s eyes, growing and learning, but perfect. We should never argue with Him about that.

Once we realize self-judgement is unfair and unloving, we need to acknowledge judging others is equally unkind. Emotions are temporary. I remember a time many years ago when I judged a United States President. It was based on a partisan opinion, but I spread my opinion around like it was truth. I called this President Sneaky Snake in front of my children. Who repeated the name at school. All unnecessary. That President was Jimmy Carter, a man I came to admire as he advocated for Habitat For Humanity in later years and physically labored on projects. As we mature through life lessons, we change. Line upon line, we receive new information and we see details we’d ignored in the past.

Lord, I am sorry for all the times I have judged myself and others, setting a bar so high, I can never be happy with my progress. Help me, Lord, to never judge others, using that yardstick of impossible goals. Or for excusing myself for the same behavior I harshly criticize in others. There is too much pain in this world, Lord. Let me be seen as a comfort bringer instead of a critical spirit. Help me understand the opinions I hold today may not be the ones I hold tomorrow. Let my opinions never be so strident they bring confusion and pain to others. Of all the lessons of loving my neighbor as myself, let me never forget to be tolerant and kind. Hating sin is not the same thing as hating the sinner.

1 I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don’t have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned.[a] But if I don’t have love, none of these things will help me.

4 Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. 5 It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. 6 It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.

8 Love never comes to an end. There is the gift of speaking what God has revealed, but it will no longer be used. There is the gift of speaking in other languages, but it will stop by itself. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will no longer be used. 9 Our knowledge is incomplete and our ability to speak what God has revealed is incomplete. 10 But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will no longer be used. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. 12 Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me.

13 So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13