Bible Study How would you define judgement?

[Edward]

Though I don't think smoking would be on my radar to condem someone by from my judgements, other drugs would be harder to not judge. Finding out a person is a heroine addict would be more tempting to question their Christianity. Or to distance myself from them regardless of Christianity or not. None the less, I know people who have their struggles with addiction. Some I know more of their life story and how they were on pain killers from a car accident for a while before the doctors said they won't prescribe him those any more. The person had gone to heroine afterwards, because his pain was still there and something he had to answer for.

This is very interesting, and I have given much thought and prayer to what you speak of. You see, I have been a pot smoker for most of my life. (I have also been an epileptic for most of my life.) When I was younger, I read the literature about how MJ helps epileptics, people w/Glaucoma and so forth. I used that info as a justification to use MJ recreationally. But I eventually grew out of the seizures and they took me off of the meds. I remained a MJ user, and was seizure free for 18 years. I was 35 then and tired of using MJ. I thought this is a young mans thing and besides, I like being clear headed.

So I quit using MJ. 4 days later I had a seizure again, after 18 years of being seizure free. So it was kind of obvious that the MJ was helping me to not have seizures. So I started using it again. I also went to the doctor and they put me back on seizure meds. 11 years later, I had not had any more seizures. And I did still want to quit using it. I thought, well, maybe it was a fluke that I had that seizure when I had quit smoking it. So I quit using MJ again (but remained on my seizure meds)...3 days later I had another seizure. This was the time that I was driving on the highway and rolled my truck 3 times and broke my back in two places.

So it wasn't a fluke. The MJ really was helping me to remain seizure free...and I have to drive to make money in my chosen trade. It's all I know. So I had to start using it again. But it was at this time, that I knew the Lord had saved my life so I rededicated my life unto Him and have been walking with Him ever since. I owe Him my life!

They put me on heavy doses of oxycodone for my continuing pain. I could work a good full days work on those pain pills. They block the pain very well. But they are weird, it's almost like it blocks the pain for now, but when the pain pill wears off, then the pain is worse than before...so life became all about the next pain pill. And there was a social stigma that came with being a patient on those pain pills. Urinalysis and stuff, like I was a criminal, an addict and that did not feel good. Once I googled oxycodone and realized what they really are...(lab grade heroin)...that I decided that I absolutely refuse to be on those pills for the rest of my life! I quit them. My next trip to the doctor made her awful mad at me. I fired her, and she quit me as a patient at the same time. She did not like hearing me say that I am going off of those pills...but I digress...

The MJ. I did still want to quit using it, and prayed and prayed about it. And the Lord has never spoken to me about it. No answer. Also no conviction in my spirit about continuing to use MJ. I have always been a lightweight and never a morning smoker, never at work. Very little maybe 2 or 3 times a week, right before I go to bed. Just enough to keep a little in my system and it also is a good muscle relaxer and lets me sleep better. So....what's a guy to do in a situation like this?

I would quit using MJ TODAY, if I could have confidence that I would not seizure. It almost killed me last time. It would have except the Lord saved my life because I cried out to him before the wreck, Lord be with me...He was with me. And He has done so much for me since then to help me, and even healed me of a dislocated hip when I had yet another seizure and fell from a 10 ft ladder...but did not heal my seizures. So...even though I do not understand the whys of it...and I am (so far) not being judged as a drug type person...I have to continue to keep a little in my system to help ensure that I don't have another seizure while driving to make some bread money

I don't mean to derail the thread, but your post struck a nerve with me and describes my situation perfectly. When I was young and stupid, I dabbled a teeny bit in other drugs, but not after that. I recognized them to be bad. I even vowed to never try heroin even once and never did until the doctor slipped it in on me. I quit that fast when I learned that. Pain or no pain.

 

[Christ_empowered]

Wow!

What a solid biblical answer!


Amen.



JLB

I'm trying...work in progress, etc...The Lord's brought me a long way.

Thanks.

 

[for_his_glory]

judging is a part of life. i see a person talking to me who reeks of cigarettes and has glazed over, druggy eyes. do i invite him or her to my home? no, not now. judging in action.

that's far different from being truly, hypocritically -judgmental- . a brother in Christ stumbled back into (long standing sin pattern...pick one...). he comes to his senses, repents. do i judge him as a fallen 'loser,' a nobody? hopefully not...

because if i do, that standard of judgment will come back to me. one thing...as ive become (personally) closer to Christ, I don't get as crazy insane afraid in public for irrational reasons. why? im not as judgmental of others. doesn't mean i'll hang out with anyone (or them with me, obviously), but i can see...discern, even...and not judge as much, as harshly. and now, even internally...the judgment that comes home to me is softer, less painful.

now, within Christendom...discernment is -huge- . there are a couple churches here, locally, i dont deal with, because in my judgment as a Christian--discernment, discerning the spirits, etc.-- i have come to the conclusion they may do more harm than good, to me in particular. again: judging is part of life.

You have hit the nail on the head as we have to learn how to discern within judging others. Not in a cruel sadistic way of judging others, but to know there is hope for everyone no matter who they are or where they come from.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

This is very interesting, and I have given much thought and prayer to what you speak of. You see, I have been a pot smoker for most of my life. (I have also been an epileptic for most of my life.) When I was younger, I read the literature about how MJ helps epileptics, people w/Glaucoma and so forth. I used that info as a justification to use MJ recreationally. But I eventually grew out of the seizures and they took me off of the meds. I remained a MJ user, and was seizure free for 18 years. I was 35 then and tired of using MJ. I thought this is a young mans thing and besides, I like being clear headed.

So I quit using MJ. 4 days later I had a seizure again, after 18 years of being seizure free. So it was kind of obvious that the MJ was helping me to not have seizures. So I started using it again. I also went to the doctor and they put me back on seizure meds. 11 years later, I had not had any more seizures. And I did still want to quit using it. I thought, well, maybe it was a fluke that I had that seizure when I had quit smoking it. So I quit using MJ again (but remained on my seizure meds)...3 days later I had another seizure. This was the time that I was driving on the highway and rolled my truck 3 times and broke my back in two places.

So it wasn't a fluke. The MJ really was helping me to remain seizure free...and I have to drive to make money in my chosen trade. It's all I know. So I had to start using it again. But it was at this time, that I knew the Lord had saved my life so I rededicated my life unto Him and have been walking with Him ever since. I owe Him my life!

They put me on heavy doses of oxycodone for my continuing pain. I could work a good full days work on those pain pills. They block the pain very well. But they are weird, it's almost like it blocks the pain for now, but when the pain pill wears off, then the pain is worse than before...so life became all about the next pain pill. And there was a social stigma that came with being a patient on those pain pills. Urinalysis and stuff, like I was a criminal, an addict and that did not feel good. Once I googled oxycodone and realized what they really are...(lab grade heroin)...that I decided that I absolutely refuse to be on those pills for the rest of my life! I quit them. My next trip to the doctor made her awful mad at me. I fired her, and she quit me as a patient at the same time. She did not like hearing me say that I am going off of those pills...but I digress...

The MJ. I did still want to quit using it, and prayed and prayed about it. And the Lord has never spoken to me about it. No answer. Also no conviction in my spirit about continuing to use MJ. I have always been a lightweight and never a morning smoker, never at work. Very little maybe 2 or 3 times a week, right before I go to bed. Just enough to keep a little in my system and it also is a good muscle relaxer and lets me sleep better. So....what's a guy to do in a situation like this?

I would quit using MJ TODAY, if I could have confidence that I would not seizure. It almost killed me last time. It would have except the Lord saved my life because I cried out to him before the wreck, Lord be with me...He was with me. And He has done so much for me since then to help me, and even healed me of a dislocated hip when I had yet another seizure and fell from a 10 ft ladder...but did not heal my seizures. So...even though I do not understand the whys of it...and I am (so far) not being judged as a drug type person...I have to continue to keep a little in my system to help ensure that I don't have another seizure while driving to make some bread money

I don't mean to derail the thread, but your post struck a nerve with me and describes my situation perfectly. When I was young and stupid, I dabbled a teeny bit in other drugs, but not after that. I recognized them to be bad. I even vowed to never try heroin even once and never did until the doctor slipped it in on me. I quit that fast when I learned that. Pain or no pain.

I'm sorry if I hit a nerve Edward, that wasn't my intent. It was one of my older brother's friends who I was referencing about the heroine. I don't think of MJ as something to condemn and I've heard of some of the things it's apparently helped in one medical condition or another. But when I read the OP, my thought process was on tobacco, not MJ. I guess neither would be on my radar to condemn someone by, or hold a reserved judgement by, as it was asked in the first post.

The story on the heroine was an eye opener for me though. I had no idea about the closeness between OxyContin or other pain relievers and heroine, and it was an example for me on the things that normally might cause a step in judgement, and how our judgments might be in error. We just don't know the story of another person's life. Again sorry if I hit a nerve, but thank you for sharing your experiences also.

 

[Edward]

I'm sorry if I hit a nerve Edward, that wasn't my intent. It was one of my older brother's friends who I was referencing about the heroine. I don't think of MJ as something to condemn and I've heard of some of the things it's apparently helped in one medical condition or another. But when I read the OP, my thought process was on tobacco, not MJ. I guess neither would be on my radar to condemn someone by, or hold a reserved judgement by, as it was asked in the first post.

The story on the heroine was an eye opener for me though. I had no idea about the closeness between OxyContin or other pain relievers and heroine, and it was an example for me on the things that normally might cause a step in judgement, and how our judgments might be in error. We just don't know the story of another person's life. Again sorry if I hit a nerve, but thank you for sharing your experiences also.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. More like you brought my remembrance of that all to mind, and...I wish I could quit MJ altogether, but might not happen on this earth for me. What you said did not irritate me at all. I stated that poorly.