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Judging
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Wednesday,
July 17,
2013 Nick Cirino
“That
was really mean.”
Is
that statement judgmental? Depends. Let’s play it out in two different ways:
Person
1: “That was really mean. I can’t believe how he just yelled at his kids
like that. I would never do something like. He should learn how to have some
decency. I just can’t stand him.”
Person
2. “That was really mean the way he yelled at his kids. I don’t know if he
understands how hurtful that is to them. My heart brakes for them and for him. I
pray God would be working on him to soften his angry heart.”
I
would contend that the first attitude is judgmental. The second is not. What is
the difference? The difference is not their observations. Both observed
the same incident (yelling at the kids). Both rightly noted that he is
characteristically mean to others.
The
first person however was loveless. In fact, they were borderline hateful. They
were also prideful. There was an intrinsic assumption that they are
better than him. That person passed judgment on him. They declared him
condemned.
The
second person did not shy away from the truth about him, but they had love. The
second person hoped for better for him. That person was on his side. They left
the judgment to God. God will either condemn him or declare him righteous. That
is not our job. Our job is to love one another and work toward all men
living their lives to the glory of God.
So
here’s the challenge: God calls me to relentlessly love the people around me. He
calls me to see them accurately, both the good parts and the sinful parts.
Seeing another’s sin shouldn’t make me feel better than them. It should
remind me I’m a sinner and it should prompt me to love them, to long for them
to change.
James
4:11-12 ESV
· Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a
brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But
if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one
lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to
judge your neighbor?
· Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a
brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But
if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one
lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to
judge your neighbor?
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ReplyDeleteBoth comments are judgmental and it is probably gossip too. Neither one addresses the sinner.
Matt 18:15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.
"Truth without love is brutality, love without truth is sentimentality". Warren W. Wiersbe
Well, Paul wasn't too easy on his brothers in Acts 23 when he (rightly so) called the High Priest of the Sanhedrin 'you whitewashed wall"! and he went on to say "You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law...."
ReplyDeleteThough some see the next verses as Paul 'backing down', more so his comments following this statement proved his point that the high priest was unrecognizable, not just by his lack of appropriate attire, but by his character.
Anyway, maybe neither statement above is ideal, but no doubt the doer needed to be approached and if the shoe fits, well...
Judging inappropriately has an eternal aspect to it for the 'law' is an eternal aspect in itself. Drawing a conclusion is not judging.
Personally, I think the High Priest got off easy ^_^