In the last post, we talked about self-righteousness that leads to ungodly criticism and judgment of others. So how do we navigate “do not judge.”
First, let’s remember what God told Samuel,
“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.” (1 Samuel 16:7;NLT).
As humans, we cannot read minds or know motives. We do not know what is in the hearts of people. They are accountable to God, not us. Let God handle them.
Second, examine your heart for self-righteousness or pride. When judging others, we are comparing them to ourselves. Look out for pride in your own heart. We have to consistently pray that God will help us to get rid of our pride.
Lastly, in Matthew 7:15-16 Jesus instructs us to watch,
“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way, they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions”
Jesus calls us to watch the actions of people. “we shall know them by their fruits” Watch the results of their actions. We can see actions. We can often see if God is working in their life.
As we look, we should not commentate on what we see. We are to observe. What kind of fruit are they bearing?
Navigating this world with all of the sin around us and in us, we have to continually seek God and His word on how to be light for Him. So as we interact with people around us, let’s ask God to help us.
“Lord, thank you for your love for us. Help us to show the same love to others. Remove the pride that is in our hearts that causes us to judge those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
