Judge Not, II

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Matthew 7: 1-3

This is a big command; yet, disobeying this command can be so easy and subtle. Judgments can slip right into any conversation. Don’t we often run with the little piece of information we’ve got in our hands and make a nice juicy story that we know will catch everyone’s attention? If you don’t think you have a problem with it, just take note next time you converse either with your friend or in a group... it is just as easy to go with the flow and add to the story. I know I am very guilty of it.

James, in his letter to the Christians, says:

Speak not evil one of another, brethren [or sisters]. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Neither are we to judge, because we sure don’t see the whole picture. Only God is a perfect judge for He sees the whole picture!

Our flesh loves go tell people of another person’s faults and we love to talk about how bad everything is that one is doing. And, of course, it makes us look good, because we give the appearance of being better than the person we are talking about.

Paul said it like this in Romans 2:1,

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. Wow those are some of his powerful words.

Read Romans 1:29-32 and you will know what “things” Paul is speaking about.

Here are good ways to examine our hearts:

When I see a fault in someone’s life, is my first thought how to help?

Is their fault a signal to examine my own life?

Have I asked God to reveal the “beam” in my own eye? What has he shown me?

In what areas has God given me victory?

Have I developed ways to share answers with others?

Have I examined my life to identify anything that might make others stumble?

When I see a problem, do I get all the facts and involve only those who are part of the solution?

Doesn’t the last one just sum up-- to get only those involved who are part of the solution?

To have people confide in us we need to keep in mind that we are to help and not to judge.

*Scripture emphasis added by me.

* The section Examining My Heart points come from the Commands of Christ

--Evangelyn Kornelson