Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.  For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the  spec in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the log in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother,  ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’  and look, there’s a log in your eye?  Hypocrite!  First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.   Matthew 7:1-5  HCSB

Ok, admit it.  You know you have done it before.  I know I have.  I have sat and judged someone.  I have had that high and mighty attitude over something that someone did that I considered to be just awful.  I look back on those times and I look at some of the things that I did and they were worse.  We love to have this haughty attitude and say things like, “Well, I never”  or  “I would never do such a thing”.  Be very, very careful with that.  You see that haughty attitude comes from pride.  The Bible tells us that God detests pride (Proverbs 8:13).  God hates arrogance.  When we judge others we do so out of pride and arrogance.  We have this foolish notion that putting down on others lifts us up.  Well, according to God’s word, it’s just the opposite.  When we speak badly of others, we are in serious danger of dragging ourselves down.   Read today’s scripture passage very carefully.  We will be judged with the judgment we use.  Can you stand up to the judgement that you are passing  on others?  Are you sure that you always will be able to stand up to that?  Are you positive that you are so perfect that this will never be a problem for you?  Then we are told that the measure of judgment we use on others will be used on us.  Are you sure that you want to bring that type of judgment onto yourself?  Just sayin’.

A counselor or therapist might tell you that someone speaks poorly of others in an attempt to cover up their own faults.  I have often seen people accuse others of doing the exact same thing they were doing.  What’s really amusing is that they believe that this thing they are doing in secret will never come to light, but they publicly accuse others.  Hmm.  Now there’s something to think about.  So, the next time someone accuses you of something that you did not do, take a good hard look at them.  Maybe, just maybe, they are doing what they are accusing you of doing.  But even if they are, it’s not your place to judge them.

One thing we all know is that God designed us so that we have this pesky thing called human nature.  This means that we tend to do what comes naturally.  Judging others comes naturally.  Now most often, what we consider human nature, the Bible calls the works of the flesh.  We are told  in Ephesians 5 to be imitators of Christ and to avoid walking in the flesh.  Human nature tells us to hate our enemies, but Matthew 5:43-48 tells us just the opposite.  We are instructed in God’s word to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  Human nature tells us to gloat and be glad when our enemy finally falls.  However, Proverbs 24:17 tells us,  Don’t gloat when your enemy falls, and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, or the Lord will see, be displeased, and turn His wrath away from him.  Feel free to look it up for yourself.  The Bible tells us that when we gloat because our enemy suffers, that the Lord will turn HIs wrath away from our enemy.   That means we won’t have anything left to gloat about, right?  Let’s face it, when someone comes against us, we all like to believe that they will get their’s or that their day is coming.  But this scripture tells us that their day will come and go pretty quickly if we gloat when they fall.  Now the Bible tells us that if we are kind to our enemies, it is like pouring hot coals on their head (Psalms 25:22, Romans 12:20).  Another little something for you to ponder.

God calls on us to do what is against our human nature.  He calls on us to be kind and compassionate to one another.  He calls on us to forgive others just as He forgives us (Ephesians 4:32).    The Bible instructs us on how to handle conflicts with others in Matthew 18:15-17.  But nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to judge others and then run around talking about them.

Now if you are reading this, and you think I’m getting a little personal or hitting a little close to home, let me tell you this.  This word that God has given me is for me.  This is an area where I struggle.  If you also struggle in this area, then join me in asking God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.  Join me in asking God to forgive you for ever having judged others and help you get into the habit of not judging others.

Let me just say this in closing.  I have done some things for which I have begged God to forgive me.  The Bible tells me that God is faithful to forgive me (1 John 1:9).  I trust that He has, but I still fall into sin when I judge others.  I still fall into sin when I get angry and run my mouth about someone else when I should be keeping it closed.  I was convicted the other day when I had my teenage niece with me and a lovely young lady from our church.  They had spent the day together at my house and I was bringing them home.  On two different occasions they chose not to talk about someone and not to speak of their judgment against these people.  If they can, I can.  It just takes practice.  So I am asking you today to practice not judging others.  It doesn’t come naturally, but we can get into the habit of not doing it.  If you need a little incentive, just remember todays scripture passage.  However we judge others is how God is going to judge us.  Ouch!  So, like the two lovely young ladies that I had the opportunity to spend time with the other day, think before you speak.  If you are about to speak judgment against someone else, you may want to change the subject onto something pleasant.

Have a great weekend!