Less Judging, More Loving
But God demonstrates His own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
Author Tim Storey, in Time For A
Comeback, tells a great story about how
easy it is to rush to pass judgment on others. Tim pulled up in front of his neighborhood
barber shop and parked. As he fished around for his wallet, he felt the
sickening crunch of metal hitting metal. Somebody hit his car! What an idiot!
But when he jumped out to look, Tim didn't see anyone. As he was muttering
under his breath about stupid drivers, a little old lady came out of the barber
shop and announced, "I saw the whole thing." Turns out, he was the
stupid driver. Instead of putting his car in park, Tim had accidentally shifted
it into reverse. No one had hit him; he had backed into the car behind him.
It's so easy to pass judgment without all the facts, isn't it? The other guy is the stupid driver. Jesus could have just as well been talking to us when he said, "Why do you worry about the speck that is in your neighbor's eye, but pay no attention to the 2" x 4" protruding from your own eye?" (Paraphrase) We all do it, don't we? We look for flaws in others and ignore our own. Actually, that is not too surprising.
Each of us is made up of certain unique experiences, ideas, prejudices, and expectations; these things make up a "filter" through which we see the world. Like a pair of faulty glasses, this "filter" allows us only limited vision. We think we can see ourselves clearly, but the further we get from ourselves, the fuzzier our vision is.
It's so easy to pass judgment without all the facts, isn't it? The other guy is the stupid driver. Jesus could have just as well been talking to us when he said, "Why do you worry about the speck that is in your neighbor's eye, but pay no attention to the 2" x 4" protruding from your own eye?" (Paraphrase) We all do it, don't we? We look for flaws in others and ignore our own. Actually, that is not too surprising.
Each of us is made up of certain unique experiences, ideas, prejudices, and expectations; these things make up a "filter" through which we see the world. Like a pair of faulty glasses, this "filter" allows us only limited vision. We think we can see ourselves clearly, but the further we get from ourselves, the fuzzier our vision is.
Like an acutely
farsighted person, we are often blind to our own faults, but quick to notice
the faults of others.
1. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WHEN WE PASS JUDGMENT ON OTHERS, WE ARE TAKING THE PLACE OF GOD.
People Magazine once did a survey called "The Sindex: A Reader's Guide to Misbehavior." Readers were asked to rate how guilty they would feel, on a scale of one to ten, if they engaged in any of fifty-one activities. The results were averaged to give each behavior a Sin Coefficient and a ranking in the Reader's Morality Index. On a scale of Ten, the top ten sins, according to the magazine's readers were: Murder 9.84, Rape 9.77, Incest 9.68, Child Abuse 9.59, Spying against your country 8.98, Drug Dealing 8.83, Embezzlement 8.49, Pederasty 8.30, Spouse Swapping 8.09, and Adultery 7.63 (3)
We often assume that God has a "Sindex." Gossip, anger, lack of charity, and gluttony should be benign sins in our estimation, and should be covered by a quick prayer and perfect church attendance for one full month. Adultery, drug dealing, homosexuality, and murder are major sins, and God should be just as repulsed by these sins as we are. That's what we'd like to think. But it's a lie. A sin is anything . . . anything . . .anything that separates us from God. Romans 3: 23 says, "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . ." Anything that falls short of the glory and holiness of God is sin.
1. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WHEN WE PASS JUDGMENT ON OTHERS, WE ARE TAKING THE PLACE OF GOD.
People Magazine once did a survey called "The Sindex: A Reader's Guide to Misbehavior." Readers were asked to rate how guilty they would feel, on a scale of one to ten, if they engaged in any of fifty-one activities. The results were averaged to give each behavior a Sin Coefficient and a ranking in the Reader's Morality Index. On a scale of Ten, the top ten sins, according to the magazine's readers were: Murder 9.84, Rape 9.77, Incest 9.68, Child Abuse 9.59, Spying against your country 8.98, Drug Dealing 8.83, Embezzlement 8.49, Pederasty 8.30, Spouse Swapping 8.09, and Adultery 7.63 (3)
We often assume that God has a "Sindex." Gossip, anger, lack of charity, and gluttony should be benign sins in our estimation, and should be covered by a quick prayer and perfect church attendance for one full month. Adultery, drug dealing, homosexuality, and murder are major sins, and God should be just as repulsed by these sins as we are. That's what we'd like to think. But it's a lie. A sin is anything . . . anything . . .anything that separates us from God. Romans 3: 23 says, "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . ." Anything that falls short of the glory and holiness of God is sin.
We are all sinners. It sounds like a cliche, but it is the hard
Gospel truth. None of us has any bragging room as far as righteousness is
concerned. We would like to believe that there is a hierarchy of sin. In our
minds, there ought to be a grading scale for beginning sinners, intermediate
level, and advanced-placement hypocrites.
2. THE BIBLE TELLS US UNTIL WE CAN LOVE OTHERS AS GOD LOVES THEM, WE CANNOT JUDGE OTHERS AS GOD JUDGES THEM.
It is so easy to be critical of others--to put them down--to question their right to think for themselves. It is so easy to criticize, so easy to judge. But we don't know the other person's circumstances or expectations. We don't know the burdens that they carry. But God knows. He knows the road that each one of us has traveled. Also, God has two vitally important attributes that we don't have: perfect holiness and perfect love. All of God's judgments are filtered through His holiness and His love for us. Our judgments are stained by feelings of revenge, self-righteousness, anger, contempt, jealousy. God doesn't have that problem. No matter what we have done in life, God continues to love us. No sin can shock Him. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
3. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT OUR INWARD ATTITUDE JUST AS MUCH AS OUR OUTWARD ACTIONS.
2. THE BIBLE TELLS US UNTIL WE CAN LOVE OTHERS AS GOD LOVES THEM, WE CANNOT JUDGE OTHERS AS GOD JUDGES THEM.
It is so easy to be critical of others--to put them down--to question their right to think for themselves. It is so easy to criticize, so easy to judge. But we don't know the other person's circumstances or expectations. We don't know the burdens that they carry. But God knows. He knows the road that each one of us has traveled. Also, God has two vitally important attributes that we don't have: perfect holiness and perfect love. All of God's judgments are filtered through His holiness and His love for us. Our judgments are stained by feelings of revenge, self-righteousness, anger, contempt, jealousy. God doesn't have that problem. No matter what we have done in life, God continues to love us. No sin can shock Him. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
3. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT OUR INWARD ATTITUDE JUST AS MUCH AS OUR OUTWARD ACTIONS.
God doesn't just
judge us by our actions; our thoughts and attitudes are equally important in
His sight. He is the perfect judge, both merciful and just. All of God's
judgments are filtered through His perfect holiness and His perfect love. Why
are we commanded not to judge one another? Because we're no good at playing
God. Until we can love as God loves, then we cannot judge as God judges. But
let us strive every day toward greater holiness and greater love, so that our
own thoughts and actions will be acceptable in God's sight.
Terry Risser
Consider reading the Word today:
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