Friday, July 29, 2011

Food for Thought Friday: Are You Judgemental?

Sometimes my friends & family ask  me ..."Was that last blog post directed towards me?"  Ha ha! That is only funny to me because that can't be any further from the truth. I write my Food for Thought Friday posts for ME, ME, & ME!!  It's usually things I struggle with, or things the Lord has been dealing with me about and revealing to me. I have realized over the past year how much being judgemental truly pushes away non-believers. I'd say it's probably one of the biggest factors that turns people away from Christianity, along with hypocrisy. We live in judgemental times. Everyone is comparing him or herself with others, categorizing sin, and judging others for their sins and choices, rather than focusing on our own life and walk. It is human nature to judge, and that's why God addresses it for us in His Word. He tells us in Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:37 says "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."  I know that I fall short way too often myself to worry about what others are doing wrong. The rest of that verse in Matthew says "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye..." (Matthew 7:3-6)

Can you imagine if we all just focused on ourselves?? If people didn't have to be concerned with people judging them and could worry about the only One who will actually place any judgement on us? 2 Corinthians 5:10 says "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

My prayer is that people, especially believers, can stop being so judgmental. Starting with ME.

Check out these other Scriptures about judging others....
"Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?" ~Romans 2:1-3


"Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" ~James 4:11-12



"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."~ Ephesians 4:29



"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." ~Matthew 7:5


"There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?" ~James 4:12 

2 comments:

Brittany said...

This spoke to me this morning. Judging is something I have always struggled with! Luckily, my hubby helps me overcome it :)

Emily said...

I really enjoyed all our talks during my trip! I really do think hypocrisy and judgmental attitudes are the BIGGEST reasons we, as christians, do not live up to the example Christ has set for us! Very good post ;)