April 28-29, 2012
To Judge Or Not To
Judge
Transformational Thought
Like it or not, we are judging something all the
time. Someone’s clothes … hair … car … house … cleanliness … weight … attitude.
Some say it is wrong to judge, and we are not to judge … that judging is up to
God. He is the only one who has the right and authority to judge. So they will
often quote, “judge not lest ye be judged.”
But in the Bible, we are called as parents to
correct our children … to pick elders and church leaders with certain character
… to vote for Godly leaders … to judge false Bible teachers … to confront
gossiping, addiction, or adulterous behavior … even to be a third party helping
settle a dispute between two Christian brothers.
How can we carry out these duties without judging
the individuals? What a dilemma … to judge or not to judge. How do we know when
to judge and when to sit tight? Sorting out these contradictory instructions
and scenarios is complex, and I don’t want to oversimplify, but most can be
boiled down to this: 1. What’s at the center of your heart motivating your
behavior, and 2. What lenses are you using to assess the situation.
Only God can see into hearts and truly judge the
full scope of an event. We can judge conduct, but only hypothesize about the
motivation leading to the person’s conduct. God knows everything and judges
accurately, impartially, and according to absolute truth. We are too limited to
make the same quality judgments. We are called to judge conduct (our next
Stepping Stones will look at that element a little more), but not to judge
someone’s heart. We do need to make sure our motives for judging conduct are
focused on God and our focus is to serve the person we are judging and their
“targets”.
Today, try to determine whether you are judging a
person’s heart or their conduct. If you are judging heart, that is a dangerous
area that needs to be approached with extreme caution. If you are called to
judge a person’s conduct, examine your heart and motives. Are you using
me-centered agendas and lenses? Be honest with yourself. When you judge the
right things for the right reasons, in the right way, a big burden will be
lifted. You will be so much freer is your relationships. Once you have the
judgment, then glorify God in how you present that assessment to the individual
you are called to judge and serve. You are called to judge, but judging well is
your decision, so choose well.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I know I am sometimes quick to
judge … and to condemn. Please forgive me. Help me understand my own issues
better, and resolve my needs so I don’t feel compelled to judge and ridicule
others to lessen my fears, anxieties, or insecurities and inadequacies. I
desire a heart that beats with Yours and wants to love and serve those You put
into my life. Help me have a discerning lens to understand their struggles and
lovingly and clearly show and teach them Your word. I pray this and all prayers
in the name of the One quickest to forgive, Jesus Christ; and all God’s
children say - AMEN!
The Truth
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For
the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the
Lord looks on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
"Judge not, and you will not be
judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be
forgiven;”
Luke 6:37
There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is
able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
James 4:12
