Saturday, April 26, 2008
It is very easy to fall into the trap of judging others. We can look at a person’s appearance and come up with a thought concerning them without so much as a word spoken. While listening to someone talk, we can form an opinion about that person without knowing him or her. If a person acts a certain way, we may judge them without understanding what brought them to those actions. The meaning of the word judge in Webster’s dictionary is “to form an authoritative opinion, estimate or evaluation about something” and “to think or conclude.”
With or without having all the facts, we conclude something based on our own opinion.
I’m sure we can all attest to being tested in this area of our lives. I believe God allows us to be put in situations that would give us the opportunity to change, for his glory. Before speaking, we must be careful, thinking and weighing our words. Sometimes we forget that someone is going to hear our conversation, mainly the Lord. We are to speak the truth in love, not judgment. If we really think about it, the measuring stick is our own heart. God knows our heart and its motives. We also know if the statement we are making to or about an individual is judgmental. Whether it’s true or not, we are not called to judge others. That is best left to the one who will rightly judge, because he knows all things.
In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus says, “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
This Scripture carries with it strict commands. Jesus was addressing the hypocrisy and arrogance of the day. Sometimes, I am convinced that not much has changed. There are a few lessons that can be learned from this portion of God’s word. First, we should not enter into quick judgment of another. We have heard the saying, “Don’t jump to conclusions.” If we enter in a quick judgment of another, we are being unfair in not affording a person the opportunity to explain the occurrence.
We should not draw a conclusion based upon “one side of the story.” Anyone with common sense knows that there are always two sides to a story, even though we often consider our side the only story. Second, we should not enter into harsh judgment. This is a judgment without love or charity. This brings into play our words, which can often crush and demoralize an individual. To tear someone down verbally is against all that the Gospel proclaims. Jesus came to mend the brokenhearted. He came to forgive our sins and the sins of others. If we are truly recipients of this forgiveness and love, we have no right to judge another person.
And third, Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged.” The same judgment and severity we impose on another will one day be our portion. Those thoughts, words and actions are all seeds. Seeds that are one day going to grow in our life, because we planted them in the life of another. It is the biblical law of “sowing and reaping.” We all have the tendency to treat others the same way they treat us. But one who has been the recipient of harsh judgment is quicker to be merciful rather than judgmental because they know how it feels to be judged by another.
Let’s ask the Lord to help us to see others through his eyes. God is merciful, just as the Scripture says in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” God set the standard, his standard. Let’s live up to it.
Note: All Scripture references are quoted from the New American Standard version.
X Patty Scahill of Struthers, who is a teacher, preacher, conference speaker and author, attends Christian Life Church in Canfield. A former women’s director of Teen Challenge in Youngstown, she is working on her second book, “The Wilderness Journey.”