Who are we to judge?

"Ugh. Them again. They are so ________."

We've all been there. If you haven't, well I don't believe you. Everything we do throughout the day includes judgement at some point. We judge whether this outfit will look better than the next. We judge the time, will stopping for coffee make me late for work? We judge the person at the stoplight in front of us who is obviously to blame for the reason we are going to be late, not the fact that we went through all those outfits AND stopped for coffee.

Our job is not to judge. This includes comparing your spiritual journey to the next person's. Maybe the person you just saw church also still uses profanity. While accountability is important, not everyone may give up those sins as quickly as you did. Some people may not get baptized immediately after declaring Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Some people may not be as outgoing as you, this doesn't make them hateful. Some people may prefer a handshake during fellowship instead of a hug. (I will always take a hug. COVID season is really testing me)

God is our judge. While it is easier to point out the flaws in others, this generally is showing that we are choosing to not work on ourselves. If you are looking for external flaws in others, that is usually the result of internal flaws in you.

Matthew 7 tells us that with the same way and measure we judge others, we will also be judged. Now, I don't know about you, but if I stopped all judgement tomorrow (which would be very hard, just being honest) I would still have plenty of judgement to receive in return.

If that punches you as hard as it punches me, Luke 6:37-38 might help soften the blow.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” - Luke 6:37-38

It is not fair for us to assume how great or not great a person can be based off of their one time actions to us. Even if the person really isn't that great, nobody is forcing you to be their friend- you just have to accept them as a person. God has made us all in His image. None of us are here by mistake. He has a plan and purpose for all of us and whether we choose to obey His will is up to us.

We can not judge someone by who they used to be. We know that God can make the mountains move, the seas settle and holds the whole world in His hands so don't be surprised when He changes someones heart.

This world is not forgiving, which is why we should be quicker to forgive and slower to judge.

However, judgement also works both ways. In some cases, we can put others on a pedestal and make ourselves feel less than. We all have different skill sets and gifts- just because we can't sing as well as someone else in our pew does not mean we are not being used for something else in the church. You are here for a reason. You were chosen. You are loved. You are unique. You are beautiful.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 12:4

It's just as important to allow God to be your judge and remember that nobody else has the authority to judge you as it is for you to remember that only God can judge others.

We have all been created equally, we all live in the same fallen world, we all will mess up, let's be more gracious to one another.

"Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. 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 is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?" - James 4:11-12

I challenge you to encourage someone today. Compliment that person you would normally judge yourself against. Pray for the person who is judging you.