Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1)
Why is it so easy to judge others? It seems that human nature gets the best of us, and we tend to think we are the be all and end all of all of creation. The truth is, we aren’t. We, like those poor old worldly saps we are condemning, are dreadful sinners condemned to Hell. The difference? From a theological standpoint there is no difference. Yet God has bridged that gap because of HIS grace, not ours.
There are times when we get in God’s way when He is trying to tend to the business of His kingdom here on earth.
"A man was struggling with a large box at the back edge of his truck. A passing neighbor saw his plight and came over to help him. He put his shoulder to the box. After a few tiring moments the neighbor exclaimed, "What’s in that box anyway? I don’t think we will ever get it on the truck." "Get on!" the exasperated man shouted, "I’m trying to get it off!"
Well-meaning Christians can be God’s worst enemies. When we judge and condemn others, when we set up our own standards of what it means to be saved, when we claim absolute knowledge of God’s will and of his Scriptures, we take over God’s role and attempt to run his business" . That is the very reason that we sometimes fail to see that we are trying to put the box on the truck when God wants the box off the truck.
Listen to me my friends. We are held to a higher standard. There are things that we must not say, actions we must not do, activities we must decline in order to maintain a relationship with a Holy God. Those instructions are for us, for believers, and are necessary for the sanctity of our walk with God.
For everyone else? We are to be the light that shows them Christ. We are to be the salt that preserves them. We are to be the bridle that leads them down the path.
We cannot be any of those things if we wag our fingers in their face when they don’t meet our expectations and write them off. Instead may I suggest to you that the Christian response is to love all people.
Yes, love them. Interact with them. Be there for them. Encourage them. Learn the good that is in them. Share the LOVE, yes the LOVE of Christ with them. Stand up for what is right, but don’t stand ON someone to do so.
Don’t take over God’s role. He is more capable of doing His job than we are.
For all right judgment of any man or things it is useful, nay, essential, to see his good qualities before pronouncing on his bad.
–Thomas Carlysle