Judge Not!

It is very hard in today’s world to feel validated about your opinions. It is also easy to sometimes feel like you make better choices than others.

My social media pages are swarmed with the politically correct and the opposing. It can be hard to feel comfortable in your own skin as a parent when there is so much confusion about what is acceptable and what is now considered “so last century”.

Today, there are more e-cards pointing out the flaws of others than there is encouraging ones. It’s our passive aggressive way to make light of our judgment towards others.

We hold that it is our right to post and say what we think even at the sake of others’ feelings because we are a free country full of opinions. Well, if we are a free people, why are we so apt to judge others? Why are we incapable of allowing them their freedoms? Is our job not to pray for others and love them with compassion showing them that our God loves? Is it not our duty to show them that the arms of God are a safe place to land? 

I am in no way talking about us giving up on living godly lives and setting examples through love and our own understanding of God’s words. In fact, I truly believe if we used God’s words as opposed to our own, we would not be living in a society where we could be called hypocrites.

The Bible clearly tells us it is not our job to judge others. That was not why Jesus died. He did not instruct us to judge; instead He spoke of forgiveness.

We can push others away without realizing it. We are blocking others from falling to their knees and discovering the true love we all crave. If we don’t recognize that God wants a relationship with ALL of His beloved children, we will hinder others from wanting to know Him.

A relationship with a parent is natural; so in a sense, our relationship with God should come naturally. If a child is abused, then they will not feel safe at home. How then will those abused by churchgoers feel about going to church?

The love of God is in us. This love is so profoundly unconditional that we will never comprehend it. Perhaps that’s why we sometimes think God is quick to judge and slow to forgive. He is not. The Bible says He forgets our sins when we confess to Him.

He does not want us to be selective in sharing our faith and pick to share with only those whom we think are worthy of salvation. We are to live as examples of His grace and forgiveness.

Is it grace to berate others? No. Is it grace to qualify who is living up to our standards? No.

Christ didn’t die on the cross and rise again so that we can demand sinners live moral lives. Christ died for us all, for we are all sinners saved by grace. He died and rose again for us to truly live. He has done the work anyway, not our own godliness.

There is a man who fishes at a local bridge in my town. Before he begins to fish, he puts a cross out by his truck which sits on the side of the road. It is a big, beautiful cross. You can’t miss it. 

I drove by recently and it brought me to tears. I thought this man literally carries the cross. This cross does not attack; it sits visible next to a man who may not fully realize he is as much a fisher of men as he is of fish. He is not pushing his beliefs; he is just sharing them in an inoffensive manner. I bet more than once this has been the most inspirational sign on the side of the road to a passerby. 

Should we share Christ? Of course, we should. God wants us to share His love. But that is the point; it’s His love He desires others to know.

We cannot change people’s morals. That’s not even God’s focus. He wants souls. He wants all of us broken people to find hope, peace and love in Him. He wants us to find freedom in His sacrifice.

Judgment only causes anger and confusion. Hitting people over the head with the Bible causes the abused to despise God’s Word, not respect or love it.  We cannot truly show God’s love until we ourselves love.