It seems like Christendom is always buzzing over one hot topic or another. Should the adulterous gospel singer return after a six-month hiatus? Should the mega pastor date the mega star? Does singing the blues make you unholy? On and on the arguments rage and we get so caught up on judging those in the Kingdom, that we lose focus on the ones outside of it.
The problem is that we live in a hypocritical culture. We all practice judging, but we have the nerve to make judgment seem like a bad thing. We are told that we shouldn’t judge, but hello…we make judgment calls every single day of our lives. If we didn’t, then how could we walk the path that Christ has called us to follow?
We judge who we want to be friends with and who we don’t. We judge what music we listen to and what we don’t. We judge things every day because of the simple fact that it doesn’t matter who you are… exposing yourself to some things will take you away from Christ, while exposing yourself to others will draw you closer. We make our judgments based on where they take us in relationship to our desires and goals.
Things can get heated when perspectives are different. I believe it is primarily because we allow our egos to get involved in the discussions. We take it personally when people don’t agree with us. Ironically, we can feel judged when there is a difference of opinion. Whether we want to admit it or not, we can’t disagree healthily because of our own insecurities. The true zeal of the Lord enables us to defend our viewpoints in love and not feel forced to bring someone to our way of seeing things. It is holier than thou attitudes that prohibit us from talking through issues using the Word (not our emotions) as our rule of faith and source of conduct.
We can’t afford to naively handle Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, lest yet be judged.” Some of us use it as a justification for doing whatever we want and daring someone else to correct us. All scripture must be viewed in the light of other scripture. In Matthew 7:2, it is clear that not only will we judge…we will be judged! Here scripture is cautioning us to be willing to live up to the standards that we set for others. That’s no easy task. It’s not as simple as, if you’re not committing adultery, then you can feel free to judge the person who is. This application doesn’t represent the heart of the scripture.
In every situation, there are two things up for judgment—the behavior and the person. We are to unashamedly judge the behavior and call sin out for what it is. But when it comes to people, the layers behind the story go deep and we must be careful that, although we hold them accountable with the truth, we still see them with grace. Grace and truth are needed for godliness to result! We are to judge others with the same heart attitude that we want others to correct us.
Here are a few tips for judging things biblically:
1. Love what He loves, hate what He hates: If it were up to us, King David would have been banished to a remote island after participating in the murder of an innocent man, just so he could satisfy his lust for the man’s wife. But thankfully it wasn’t. God exposed the ugly flaws in David’s character and David had to face his sin. God hated the behavior, but God loved the person. David’s repentant heart made restoration possible. I encourage every stand for righteousness, but we must make sure it is not a self-righteous stand.
2. Window wash your soul: Matthew 7:3-5 continues by giving us the primary criteria for judgment. The criterion is that we are equally submitted to the correction of others. Jesus doesn’t say leave your brother’s speck alone. He tells us to deal with our logs first and in doing so we will be equipped to help our brothers. Why? Because when we are honest about our issues and the grace we need to change, we become more gracious and loving of others. I find it hard to be unloving towards others during the times when I am intensely aware of just how much love I need to change and grow.
The brother with the speck needs some help to see clearly… how much more does the brother with the log need? We learn how to judge lovingly when we allow ourselves to be judged lovingly.
None of us are above judgment, nor should we want to be. The judgment of men based on carnal thinking is worthless. But judgment through the lens of God’s Word and the love of His heart has the power to restore our souls and help us to continue on our journey of transformation.
Live It! Stir the pot! Pick a buzz topic or two and briefly survey a few Christian friends to see where they stand. Select friends with different perspectives and spend an evening together discussing these issues. Take time to notice your instinctive reactions to opinions that are different from yours. Make sure you stick to the scripture when voicing your perspective.
Quoted as one of today's leading motivational speakers by Essence magazine, Leadher Coach Scott™ shares life-changing truths with practical wisdom, humor and insight. Currently, also a columnist for StreamingFaith.com, her workshops and seminars are popular at women's, singles' and youth conferences. For more info, also visit feliciascott.com or www.upliftgroup.com. Follow her at www.twitter.com/coachfelicia.