A Church That Doesn’t JudgeSample

Why is judging so bad, anyway? Surely, we must pursue what is good and avoid what is evil and be an example to others in doing so. Is that not so? Indeed, but it’s important to know our place in this. The Only One who can judge us justly is the Lord. He knows us inside and out from before our birth. He knows our present, our past, our future. He knows what lives in our hearts and what is good for us. We as people do not have the capacity to know all these things, and as such we shouldn’t try to sit on God’s chair.

Such amazing lessons in these Bible verses today! When we read the law of love, we see Jesus completely flip the script again. Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you. That doesn’t quite go well with judging, does it? What we often don’t realise is that Jesus, as He does so very often, lays down a law here that really works! Have you ever treated with kindness someone who had treated you poorly? Could he or she still bring themselves to treat you poorly afterwards? Often the answer is no, because most people have an internal system of accountability with which they justify their actions. And when others unexpectedly treat them well, this system is thrown into disarray.

But if we keep judging, we’ll be judged (Luke 6:37-38). If we condemn, we’ll be condemned. If we’re not willing to let go, we too will be stuck. When we think about the words “Judge not, and you will not be judged”, we often think it will be God who judges us. But these words are also a psychological law. In Matthew 7 we read: “with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” When you’re critical and judgemental, you’ll be criticized by others also. If you have trouble letting go and keep bringing up long-gone mistakes, others will remember your mistakes for far longer also.

While writing this reading plan, I discovered that writing about judging, which I am doing right now, makes some people feel judged. Interesting how that works, isn’t it? As such, I did my best to keep the biggest dichotomies out of the plan.

And the opposite is also true: if you meet (or are) someone who is critical and judgemental, you can assume they have been condemned by others also. Not appreciated, kicked out, maybe even isolated. Perhaps by parents, by people in the church, or at school where they were bullied. Judging is a real curse that endures through generations and finds it root in the Garden of Eden.

In the coming days we’ll discover how you can break this curse. Today I’d like to ask you, when someone is critical and judgmental, to keep in mind that they themself have been condemned or feel condemned. Try to be good to him or her. You’ll notice that it gets easier, and that it works.

Are you someone who is often critical? Then think back to a time where you yourself were criticized or felt condemned. What was it like? Pray to God that you may be healed of your pain and sadness, and that He may help you to stop judging.