Is it hard not to judge those who made those poor choices when you have not? I have been on the receiving end of judgement by the less blemished individuals but honestly I can't say that I blame them.
This is an awesome question, CharliRenee--thank you very much for posting!
I think it's always a danger for any of us to see ourselves in a better light than someone else--and judge them accordingly--because we are then able to tell ourselves, "Well, I might be struggling... but at least I'm not THAT bad."
In my own life, I've found that God always seems to put little "stoppers" in my way that make me stop and think what certain struggles must be like for other people.
I know it will sound lame, but I've always been sensitive to things that normal, everyday people don't seem to have a problem with, like sugar, simple carbs, and caffeine. All of them really mess me up, and when I've talked to people about the aftermath that I feel, it sounds very much like the hangovers that alcoholics go through (I rarely drink alcohol and don't have much experience with it because as you can imagine, if these little things mess with my system already, alcohol would probably put me in a coma--which is also why I never tried drugs.)
I don't feel a draw for alcohol, but I could eat sugar all day, every day, all the time, and man, does it ever do a number on my system. And yet, I still reach for it, pretty much every day. I understand the draw, the comfort, and even a feeling of desperation for such foods, and I believe that God has tried to explain to me that this is very much like what alcoholics and drug addicts feel--there is not only a physical addiction, but also a sense of emotional attachment and escape that seems nearly impossible to break.
I know most people will think, "Good grief, that's nothing--get yourself a real problem," but I honestly believe that God has used this to teach me about what other people go through.
As for those who struggle with other things, like those who have had multiple physical partners, etc., I understand that people are often looking for love, acceptance, and identity--I feel this on a regular basis myself--it's just that for whatever reasons, I'm not drawn to seek out those kinds of outlets.
But I know very well that if my life took a different turn, I could make those choices, too.
For everything my flesh wants to judge someone for, God usually stops me and says, "Hey, do you remember the time when..." I felt or experienced a similar feeling to what that person was probably feeling. In other words, I relate to people with extreme testimonies because I've felt, or still feel, the base feelings that lead them to do those things, and I know that I'm certainly no better than they are.
And it makes me want to help them.
Over the years, I've had some hard lessons as to what is actually helping someone vs. what is enabling them, but trying to understand people is one of the biggest yearnings that I personally have on my heart.
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