Judge not, that you be not judged.
My brain works too hard. Maybe you feel this way too, or maybe I just have to work hard to make certain things in my brain operate. Because of this, and the fact that I’m human, I look for shortcuts. Shortcuts help my brain react quickly to situations.
For example, I can look at a stovetop and get anxiety. This is the direct result of the shortcut that my brain made from the experience I had not so long ago of placing my hand on the burner (my wife did not give me genius points for that move). My brain made a shortcut that says, “stovetop bad.” Now, this isn’t entirely true. Stovetops are great and good for cooking. They are just bad for bare hands.
This shortcut isn’t always a terrible thing, but sometimes it is. This is especially the case when applied to people.
The command of Jesus not to judge does not mean that we should throw away our ability to make factual observations or to think critically. The command is not to judge; Jesus does not say not to think.* We must be able to observe that “this man steals from all people that he works with, therefore I will not hire him.” This is different than saying, “this man stole from me and from others, so he is a _____.” Judgement attaches labels to people that look like sentencing. Label-making, label-giving, and sentencing belong to God and God alone.
I have been very guilty of this. It is not fair, and it’s a prideful act of attempting to place myself in the place of God as judge. He doesn’t like that. Neither do I. Neither should you (don’t worry, I’m not judging you).
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to lay down the labels that you have placed on others, yourself, and Him. Perhaps God wants you to repent of playing God. Maybe today God wants you to start making factual observations about someone in your life that you have been judging or making excuses for. Perhaps God wants you to ask Him for labels to put on you and others and Him.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 164-165, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 7:1-6) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).