The Trappings of Judging Others

We all know that we shouldn’t preach one thing then do another. The bible says that not only how you judge but also to the full extent of how you judge will be measured back to you that same way.

One of the enemy’s main jobs is to influence us toward bad behavior and that’s another reason I talk so much about being careful who gets close to you. Anytime I see my behavior starting to slip into the negative, I evaluate any recent changes in my life. Who I’ve been hanging out with, what I’ve been thinking about, what kinds of choices I’ve been making, etc. Being less patient/ more temperamental. Eating less healthy/ exercising less. Drinking alcohol more often/ more excessively. We all know when we’re falling short of our best. But recognizing this isn’t enough. We made choices that led us off-track so we must take corrective action and make better choices to get ourselves back on-track.   

What’s worse than the sneaky way hypocrisy can manifest is when it’s deliberate, because then you’re knowingly misrepresenting God. The bible warns against practicing your righteousness before other people just to be seen by them because, though it may make you look good to people you rob yourself of any reward from God. And that’s the type of person so reprehensively referred to in Matthew 15:7-9, “You who pretend to be someone you are not, Isaiah told about you. He said, ’These people show respect to Me with their mouth, but their heart is far from Me. Their worship of Me is worth nothing.’” Ouch.

The bible says that anyone who claims to love God but hates someone is a liar. For instance, you can claim to be an apple tree but if you only produce lemons… you’re not an apple tree. You can’t claim one thing then act in a contrary way and expect to be believed. Maybe you claim to be trustworthy but you lied to or cheated on someone. Or you claim to be a Christian but the way you speak/act, no one could tell. Romans 2:3 warns that, “You that judge those who practice things that you do yourself will not escape the judgment of God” – so believe me, I’m not judging. I know I have to be mindful of this myself; we’re all in the same boat.

Here’s another one of the judgment traps, maybe you don't drink but you smoke. Or you don't have a problem with patience but you do with pride. Or you’re understanding with your loved ones but not everyone. You would never park in a handicap space yet you speed every day. It’s easy to develop the habit of judging others in areas we’re not personally tempted in but then get upset when they judge us in the same manner. None of us are without faults and we have to be sure to keep this in mind when interacting with others. Just because your issues may be different than another person’s doesn’t change the fact that we all have issues.

We are expected to be “persons of excellence.” True, it’s not our works that get us into heaven but we have a potentially long stay on this earth in the meantime. Do you want to just barely get by OR live an abundantly joyful and peaceful life while you’re here? God is the One who promotes in your life so consider this for a moment. If you had the power to promote one over another what type of person would you look for to represent you at the highest level of your organization? Hmmm.