“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. MATTHEW 7:1,3-5
Have you ever found yourself judging other people? Have you ever found yourself thinking you are better than someone else? I know unfortunately I've found myself guilty of doing both of those things. Why is it so easy for me to see what's wrong with other peoples lives? It's so easy to constantly make judgements about people, even if it's only in my mind. Why is it even a bad thing to make judgements about other people?
Let's go back to Gods word;
"God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?" JAMES 4:12
Reflecting on this verse really shows how God is the only one who actually has the power to judge. God is the one with the power to save or destroy us. Do I find myself trying to be God by judging other peoples mistakes or choices?
Here are a couple verses that really help me maintain positive perspective for what it means to be a follower of Christ and how to stay away from judging people.
"It is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." EPHESIANS 2:8
One thing about this verse that really hits me is the fact that it says it is not of yourselves. This means being saved and receiving salvation has absolutely nothing to do with us but has everything to do with what Christ has done for us. It says our salvation is a gift. A gift is something that is given free of charge. So to realize that our salvation is 100 percent free, undeserved, and not from ourselves is so very important.
The next verse that really helps me maintain the correct focus comes from James;
"For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." JAMES 2:10
This is pretty crazy to comprehend when I really think about it. The fact that it says if I've committed one sin as small as judging someone in my mind, I am just as guilty as someone who has or is currently committing every sin possible. How crazy is it that?
It goes on to say in James;
"There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you." JAMES 2:13
When I'm able to see how terrible my own sin is and realize the grace that Jesus gives us by forgiving us, it seems pretty clear to me why I should never judge anyone else. Jesus tells us to show mercy to others and forgive them of their mistakes. If I've made one mistake in my life (which trust me I make a lot), it's exactly the same as someone who appears to be making even more and worse mistakes. Jesus says for us to love each other and forgive each other, just as He has loved and forgiven us. How can I accept His love and forgiveness if I'm not willing to love and forgive others?
God has really revealed to me the importance of looking at myself and seeing areas of my life that I need to improve instead of looking at others and trying to make judgements about what they need to do. Instead of putting judgement on other people God has begun to show me to look at my own heart because it's the only thing I can control. Regardless of how I'm treated in life I can only control the way I act, the way I respond, and the way I choose to either love or not love other people. I pray that it will be to love and forgive just as Jesus loves and forgives us.
