Judge Not.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:1-2.

I hate that verse.

Well that might be a bit strong, but it serves as a constant reminder of two things for me:

1.     That the way that I see and assess other people will be how I am assessed by others.

2.     The only reason I can see sin in someone else is that I have it in me.

I can only recognize a critical spirit because I myself wrestle with a critical spirit. I can only recognize laziness because I can be lazy. I can only recognize anger because I know what rage feels like. I can only recognize fear & pride because fear & pride are my unwanted constant companions.

God‘s wisdom tells us (His people) that we are not allowed to judge. If we want to function the way we were intended to function in God’s Kingdom; if we want to live full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, then we must play by gods rules.

It does not make sense that we cannot judge. At times it is downright frustrating. Our judgment seems like justice and at times it feels like it is the only appropriate response, BUT GOD says that he is the judge. “I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.” (Deuteronomy 32:35) He is the only one that sees the complete picture and can bring about true justice. In fact, in the Bible, it says that when we make ourselves the judge, we put ourselves in the position of God. That is a bit unnerving to think about, and yet the reality is; if we’re honest, we judge all day long. We make assessments and assumptions based on our own perceptions and prejudice all the time. It is quite natural and it is one of the strongest attributes of our sinful nature.

We judge by appearance, we judge by language, we make judgments based on someone’s facial expression, what they are wearing, or how we perceive their attitude. We judge people by the car they drive, their education, the way they articulate thoughts, how they process thought, their personality, how they respond to what we love, the way they cut their lawn or the way they cut their hair. We make assessments based on where someone lives, the color of their skin, and the ink they put on their skin. We size a person up by their religious beliefs, age, gender, race, and stature. We judge someone if they are fat. We judge if someone is skinny. We judge if a person smiles or frowns. We judge people by how they drive or keep their houses. We judge people by how we perceive they judge us.

We can’t help ourselves. Our judging is such a deep-rooted sin problem, that we even judge people for judging…which of course is judging.

And just for a point of clarification. To observe something about someone is very different than to make a judgment about someone. Judgment is defined as forming an opinion or conclusion about someone. To determine, resolve, to condemn or sentence as a decree. It is a definitive thought. To judge another is to take the little that you perceive or know about a person and use it to determine all of who they are.

That is something only our God has the capability to do effectively. To judge comes from a heart that ultimately thinks it is better than or more qualified than the other person or people group. It implies a hierarchy of authority and it is a part of our sinful nature.

Here is another tough verse:

Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who was able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11-12)

When I was going to school in Texas, I made a lot of snap judgments about the youth pastor at the church I attended. He was a great guy, but I judged how he did things because they were not my preference as well as had a limited perspective of all he actually did. Ironically enough, when I later became a youth pastor, I was judged in a similar fashion and unjustly so. It was quite painful, but through it all, God reminded me of how I had judged, and that I was wrong.

It is a biblical truth that we will be judged in the same way that we judge others and it leads to a vicious cycle…until we stop judging.

So how do we stop all this assessing and critical thought?

In the Meanwhile…

First, we must acknowledge that we do in fact judge.

We make constant assessments about people throughout the day. Is it natural? Yes. Is it right? No. The truth is, in no way will our judging ever change someone’s mind or bring new life into a situation. We need to daily (sometimes hourly) humbly acknowledge our own sin before God. It is through that acknowledgment that God can then clean out our hearts, thus enabling us to effectively love the people around us.

Second, we need to choose to love others.

Loving others in no way infers we should ignore obvious wrongs or bad behavior, but it does mean we do a heart check before pointing them out. To love someone means calling them out when we see something they are doing that is not OK, but in God’s Kingdom, we can not do that if we do not first love them. That means seeing past their sin and seeing who God has made them to be…even if they have yet to realize that themselves. That is exactly how God loves us; He corrects us, but it is always out of His sincere love for us.

A new command I give you (followers of Jesus) love one another in the same way that I have loved you, you MUST love one another. (John 13:34) This is a great concept for the world to want to embrace, but it is impossible without first submitting to the God who IS love. Our privilege as the capital C Church is to demonstrate God’s love TO THE WORLD, not to critique everyone else for not showing it. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Third, we must remember that it is the Holy Spirit’s job to “convict the world of sin” (John 16:8).

As hard as that is for me to wrap my head around, it is not my job to convict unbelievers of their sin. The word “convict” in this verse means, to shame, expose, rebuke, or tell ones’ fault. Ugg. It takes great faith to trust God’s Spirit to do His job as we pray for all we see that needs to be done. None the less, it is a faith we can ask to receive.

Fourth, we can do a better job of listening.

We are to listen the way Jesus listened, looking past what is seen and choosing to hear what someone’s heart is trying to express. It means listening without talking. It means listening without hearing it through our own personal filter. “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” (James 1:19)

And then, when our hearts are clean and we truly love, God might just ask us to do something great or even give us something life-giving to say.

SIDE NOTE:

When we screw up; intentionally or unintentionally and speak judgment out of a hard or wounded heart (which I most certainly have done), may we be quick to acknowledge it and make it right…and may we choose to not judge others when they do the same.