Do not judge or you too will be judged

‘Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7: 1 -2

These words from Jesus can be very hard for us to correctly assess our attitudes.  When does realistically evaluating or testing a situation turn into the sort of judgement that Jesus is talking about?  It is right that we honestly evaluate and ask God to help us when looking at situation or people’s actions that we may not be comfortable with. Jesus himself judged the Pharisees found in Matthew 23. 

Judgments are called decisions in some verses of the Amplified (Romans 11:33) and this can be a helpful way of looking at our motives behind our judgements.  It is what we do with these decisions.

If having evaluated something we move from there to criticism and condemnation then beware. You too will be judged in the same way and you may be found even more wanting than that which you have been criticising.  It is very easy when looking at other people’s faults and weaknesses to overlook your own and move into hypocrisy and self righteousness.  It is no coincidence that immediately following these verses  Jesus talks about talking the plank from our own eye before trying to remove the speck from someone else’s eye.  It is always easier to see someone else’s faults than our own.

Joyce Meyer tells the story of how much she suffered with sickness in one of her pregnancies having had no problems previously.  God showed her that she had judged, criticised and condemned another woman suffering with sickness in pregnancy for her ‘weakness’.  Having judged another, Joyce herself was being judged. 

If we do find the weaknesses and sins of another very trying, especially if they personally impact us, then we must forgive and bless them.  Take their weaknesses to God and ask him to help you deal with them in grace and not criticism and condemnation.  Ask God to help you deal with your weaknesses and show you the planks in your eye. Trust him that as you keep a right attitude he will deal with the other person.

Judging others can become a source of bondage for us as we hold others in judgement.  Dealing with other people in grace, humility and kindness in their weaknesses releases the same flow into our lives and our weaknesses.  As we seek to walk in ever greater freedom let us treat others in their weaknesses as we too would wish to be treated in our own.