Recently, I've been thinking about how we as humans seem to love judging other people, even in Christian circles and friend groups. And this bothers me. How quick are we to judge people based on things we hear about them, first impressions, or their personality? I've said some pretty mean things about people behind their backs before which definitely did not exemplify the love of Christ, and I'm not proud of it. At all. If I could take back every single one of the nasty words I've said and hold them in my mouth before they ever had the chance to come out, I would. Because I know how much words can hurt a person both emotionally and in their reputation.

But even if you aren't a Christian, judging someone when you don't even really know them is unproductive and only brings yourself down in the long run. Think about it. Why do we judge people? To make ourselves feel better? To prove a point? Because the people we're judging make us feel uncomfortable because they're different than us? All of these reasons are a waste of time. Think of all the productive things you could be doing with your life instead of hurting other people. Other humans. We're all just human at the end of the day.

So instead of bringing others down to make yourself feel better, start being a friend to them. I know it sounds cheesy, but being a friend to someone really could change the course of that person's life. I know personally, there are MANY times when I just wished someone would come and be my friend. And when a person finally did befriend me, they made such a big impact on my life and heart. They brought me joy and happiness when I desperately needed it. Sometimes even the darkest days can be brightened up by someone simply smiling at you, complimenting you, or giving you a hug. You may not know it, but it really is the smallest things in life that sometimes make the biggest impact on a person.

Don't stay in your own little bubble and judge those outside of it. Get out of your comfort zone. Learn to truly care about people, the kind of care that goes deeper than just skin. Open your eyes and start to love. Loving the people who you don't like or don't know very well can be awkward, weird, and hard sometimes, but it's worth it. I guarantee you that a life of building other people up is so much more gratifying than being miserable while tearing others down. So go. Go and be a friend. Go and serve. Go and love.