Don't Judge

I was sitting in church observing an individual and if I'm really honest I was making a judgement based on what I was observing. After a few minutes I thought, “That's their 'normal' and who am I to judge that?” As I watched them talk to others sitting with them I thought, “Maybe they are in the process of giving their life to the Lord. Or maybe they have just recently given their heart and life to the Lord.”

Many years ago there was a saying, “Get them saved, then shaved.” For some people, and in some churches, it should have said, “Get them shaved, then saved.”

If we're really honest with ourselves we want others to change on the outside before we even know if God has changed them on the inside. If we will be patient and let God be God, He will love, convict, challenge and speak clearly about what He wants them to change. Personally, I think we often want an individual to change because of our comfort level... or should I say our discomfort.

As I watched this individual dab at tears throughout the service I thought, “I think God is at work here talking to their heart, and who am I to tell God what order things need to be changed.” So in the meantime I'll continue to pray, for the individual and for those around them whom God has been using to speak truth into their life. As I sat with all of this running through my mind I was reminded of the following scripture. Matthew 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

I'm also reminded of Gal. 5:19-21 which says, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Don't skip over the words in the middle of the list which are sins many of us tend to excuse such as anger, jealousy and discord. God's not talking to someone else in this scripture. He's talking to each of us. Take a good hard look at what's in your heart and deal with those areas.

In my observation of this individual from Sunday they needed to work on the outside as well as the inside. But what about us who have committed our life to Jesus many years ago but we make excuses and sometimes even embrace our sins? Are we really any different than this individual who was sitting near me on Sunday? They seem willing to change. Are we? Am I?

1 Samuel 16:7
says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'”

Jo-Ann