You know the saying "think before you act?" (I heard this one a lot as a child). I think we need a new one: "love before you judge."
I was reminded again this week about how easily I can think of myself as better than others. I was at my new job and heard some crazy stuff from my co-workers. I kept hearing myself say in my mind "wow I can't believe they do that!" It was almost like the Pharisee saying, "thank you, Lord, that I'm not like them." As I was verbal processing that night all that went on with a friend I realized I was thinking with a judging mind and not the mind of Christ.
Christians are the worst at this. I don't know how many times I've heard someone from church say something really judgmental that has really hurt someone because they did not take the time to find out where that person was on their journey.
First off, we are all sinners saved by grace. Period. No one person has a better place in Heaven. We were all originally designed by the same guy. No matter how far off we get, his love for us never changes. Similarly, we grow to experience more of his love when we learn to walk in his ways but we in no way earn it the closer we come.
Note: I've heard people saying we cannot judge those outside of the body of the Christ for sin because they don't follow that standard. Right! But, even more than that, we cannot and should not push people into acting righteously even if they profess to be Christians. Only the Holy Spirit can convict. I think of it this way: we are all on the journey of salvation. Without love, a person can't make it to the end.
(I am not discounting rare occasions when we really should ask our best friends the hard questions. I'm doing it now in a way. It is never to show someone how unrighteousness they are though and how much better we are. It should never be to prove a point.)
People are people. Here's a good rule of thumb: always ask yourself why. Why am I judging this person? Am I justified in my judgements? Usually when we ask The Lord he'll take the focus off the "speck" in our neighbors eye and reveal to us the nasty, big ol' plank in ours.
Why is that verse so amazing? Because it's talking about skewed vision. When we are focusing on the sin of the people around us we know our vision is skewed. We need to ask Papa God for some Holy eye care.
Here's where it gets serious. The Bible talks about certain followers of Christ who God allowed to judge others. When Peter called Ananias and Saphira out they instantly died (Acts 5:1-10). He was obviously walking in a high level of spiritual authority. But the only way he attained that authority was through love.
Peter's level of authority is our portion. It says in Revelation that we will reign with Christ. Yet I honestly cannot see the church stepping into her full authority until we learn how to love. After all, Jesus said, "the greatest commandment is this: love your neighbor as yourself." Not as yourself when you reach your fullest potential--yourself now with all your hang ups and issues).
