May 12

“Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.” —1 CORINTHIANS 4:5

In the above verse, Paul is referring to the day when each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Jesus will be the one who judges us, but despite our noblest intentions, it is often we who judge and criticize one another. People who tend to be judgmental are usually telling us something about themselves, because there are issues in their own lives they’re unable to deal with, and find it easier to judge in others. 

The truth is many of us have been misunderstood in our lives. Our motives have been misconstrued, our attitudes misrepresented, and we have been hurt by that. If we don’t let go of these negative experiences, we lose objectivity, and can become extremely biased and critical of someone else in the same situation. The issue then becomes more about us than the real issue at hand. We need to be patient; not trying to prove anything, for the truth will come out in the end, and all of us will stand before God completely accountable for ourselves. Luke 8:17 says, “There is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” That will work its ways down beyond the externals to the motives of the heart. 

We don’t know everything going on in the lives of people, so we must resist the temptation to judge. That is God’s business and He sees the entire picture. Instead, we should look for the good in people. In Romans 14:13 Paul says, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, he says, “Encourage one another and build each other up.” We are all engaged in a battle of flesh against the Spirit, and none of us will be perfect in this life. But as Christians, we will have confidence on the Day of Judgment, because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. If our identity and dependence is derived from Him, then we can love, care and support each other.

Many of the things that keep us up at night and drain us of time and energy will all turn to ashes one day. It will be worth little, if anything, and how embarrassed we may be on Judgment Day for all the wasted time and energy that did not derive from Christ.

PRAYER: Dear God, keep me from passing judgment on anyone. Help me to be more patient, understanding and encouraging of others. Thank You, Lord.

TO REFLECT UPON: Am I quick to judge others?