Abundant GraceSample

JUDGING OTHERS EMPTIES YOU

Our backyard is full of trees. When we first moved in, it looked like a jungle, with vines and brambles thick as cold molasses. I was determined to clear the mess, and slowly, section by section, I worked my way through the tangled weeds to tame what had become drastically overgrown. But here’s the thing about weeds: If you fail to keep them under control, they will grow right back.

You may not have a backyard forest to manage, but we all have hearts that are excellent at metaphorical overgrowth. As it is, judging others is one of those spiritual weeds that remains the hardest to keep cut down. It may begin as just a sprout, but if we give it room to run, it will soon take over every inch of our hearts.

At the start, judging others can feel good or even validating (we all think we’re great, right?). But ultimately, our judgments rob us of joy and suck us dry with envy and disdain. Though it is in our nature to self-elevate, God calls us to a better way. Instead of growing the weeds of judgment, He calls us to grow fruitful gardens of mercy, showing others the same grace He has shown us, so that we can see how “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

Practically, there is no shame in asking God for some weed management—to clear out your heart where the habit of judging has overgrown. We must keep in mind that everyone has an embarrassing story, a shameful past, or a current struggle. We all have flaws that can be easily pointed out, but God does not encourage us to make others feel small or unworthy. He calls us to love, to show mercy to those who have failed, and to give grace to those who are struggling.

So cut back your judgments and keep growing “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

How have you experienced God’s mercy in your life? How can you reciprocate His mercy to others? In what ways have you let judgment, envy, or bitterness keep you from experiencing God’s joy recently?