Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Judge Others or Pray?
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).
It is so very tempting to judge others as we can go about our day. We often do not say anything negative but in our minds, we condemn others. Some of us will pass judgment when we see someone smoking cigarettes. Others will pass judgment when they see a person with multiple tattoos and piercings. We can even quote Scripture to support our case. Don’t they know that their bodies are a “holy temple”? (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
If we harbor negative thoughts in our minds, it is inevitable that negative words will come from our mouths. According to Matthew 12:34, “… for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Negative thoughts and harsh judgment places us on the road to hate. “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him” 1 John 3:15).
We judge harshly when a clergy has fallen to sins of the flesh. We assume the worst when a brother or sister in Christ is accused of some wrongdoing. We laugh when there is another political scandal, but if the accused is “our” person, we judge the motives of the accuser.
All sin is sin, and it is detestable to our Lord. There is no big or little sin. When we hear that a friend or neighbor is in trouble, rather than gossiping about them and accepting the accusation, let’s instead say a prayer for the accuser. May they all be surrounded by God’s love, mercy, and grace. Life will give us plenty of opportunities to pass judgment on others, but let’s use those opportunities to pass along prayers.
Imagine a world in which we all offer grace to sinners (each other) and encouragement rather than judgment. To me, this would be the answer to the Lord’s Prayer in which we pray “your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10).
We are all God’s chosen people. We have been given grace upon grace from our Lord. Our response to such grace should be to extend it to others. Paul writes in Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Prayer: Dear good and gracious God, We have so many opportunities throughout each day to harshly judge our brothers and sisters in Christ. We know that this dishonors you and us. Help us to use these opportunities to offer prayers rather than judgement. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts always be pleasing to you. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
Men, What Do You Crave?
Men, What Do You Crave? “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2 NIV). We all have cravings. A craving is a deep desire that implies something stronger than a mere want or desire. Life is full of temptations and urgent problems which all serve as distractions from our spiritual cravings. So, how can we be expected to sustain a spiritual appetite? Below are five steps to consider. 1. Remember God loves you always Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). His grace is infinitely stronger than our sin. A... -
Is Your Burden Too Heavy?
Is Your Burden Too Heavy? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV). Many of us carry heavy burdens due to a wide variety of physical, mental, and spiritual reasons. The burden can cause us to ache at the deepest level, our soul. At this point two conclusions can be drawn: (1) the burden is not from God and... -
Entertaining Angels by Showing Hospitality
Entertaining Angels by Showing Hospitality “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2 NIV). When we think of hospitality, we often think of the custom of feeding family, friends, and neighbors in our homes or even providing them a room in our home for a brief visit. Many churches have hired a dedicated staff person to train the church members on how to staff hospitality to each other and particularly new members. The writers of the New Testament, however, were working with a significantly different definition of hospitality. ...