Who am i to judge?

Jesus with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)

God always has a way of teaching us things we thought we already knew. I’ve always known that it’s not good to judge and I’ll be the first to admit that I have given an opinion of somebody or something and sometimes without careful thought or consideration. No matter how I look it, I was judging and it was wrong.

In times when I felt “saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost”, I looked at those that were not like me and I judged them.

• I went to church on Sunday and you didn't so that means i'm in good standing with God and you are not.
• You didn't do it the way I would do it then i guess that makes it wrong.
• You don't worship like everyone else so maybe you are not doing it right.
• You don't start off the year by fasting for 21 days so that means you are going to have a bad year.
• Your first fruits offering is too little and now your finances will be cursed (LOL)
• Your shout is not loud enough and how do you expect God to hear you
• You don't think and act like the proverbs 31 woman so that means you are not ready for marriage
• You don’t have good communication skills and that means you are going to be lousy husband
• Your children are too loud, what's wrong with your parenting skills
• You spend too much time in the mall, i guess that's where your heart is

It is easy for us to judge because something in us is able to identify with that very thing we are judging.

Romans 2:1 -- 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.

As I read this scripture, the reality of it kicked it. For you that judge do the same things and if I hadn’t done the same things, I’m sure I had thought about it. No one is perfect, and Romans 3:23 makes it very clear for us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.

So who are we to decide who is right and wrong, give an informed opinion about something, or condemn someone ESPECIALLY knowing that at one point we have done it, thought about it, and have fallen short of the Glory of God.

What separates God from men is that God does not judge the outward appearance but he always searches the heart because that is where the truth is. The heart holds our desires, thoughts, and it also hides our deepest secrets. The bible says that God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ.

When all is said and done, "Stop judging, so that you won't be judged, because the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, and you will be evaluated by the standard with which you evaluate others.” Matthew 7:1-2 (ISV)

I am not perfect and God is always working on me. But with the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, I pray that I am conscious when I speak and act so that I am not found judging.

Something to think about:

He that is without sin - He that is not guilty: his own conscience being the judge - of the same sin, or of some nearly resembling it; let him - as a witness, cast the first stone at her. (John 8:7 Wesley's Notes on the Bible)