Dear Family and Friends,

It’s been awhile but I still remember my intermediate accounting course in college, taught by an outstanding professor who was not only tough, he made us compete for our grades. I loved every minute of it. 

That was until the day he announced the mid-term grades and awarded only two A’s – to the LAST persons the rest of us thought could/would/should get A’s. It was so undeserving and unfair, gasps and glances filled the room.

To add mystery to our misery, our class spies learned this professor was the counselor for the accounting honor society of which these two young ladies were members.

Now almost 50 years later, I’m still suffering from PTSD.

Am I the only one who can’t seem to forget the unjust and unfair moments in life?

Are you like me and get majorly irked when late arrivers just happen to know someone up front – then cut in line? How about when you learned the person who got the job over you – ‘knew’ somebody?

I’ll stop here before I cause anyone a stroke and summarize my point with this – we all believe that life should be just and fair, that good people deserve good things and bad people deserve punishment.

Psychologists found that children as young as three have a sense of fairness and justice. Which just confirms what we already know – being made in the image of a fair and just God means we too are fair and just.

“God is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected, Sends them in the right direction.” Psalm 25:8 MSG

It was just a short generation ago that being a Christian was considered honorable.

Today, Christians are known, not for our kindness or generosity or love, but for being judgmental, intolerant and hypocritical.

What happened to us? And when I say – us – please look in the mirror before glaring at your brothers and sisters.

The truth is injustice is thriving in all areas of society with more frequency than ever before in our lifetime.

We see people getting ahead by lying and stealing. And then cheat the systems meant to preserve justice.

It seems we’ve had more protests against acts and decisions of injustice in the past three years than in the preceding 50 years.

As the calls for justice and fairness have increased, so have our opportunities to judge – our innate wanting to ‘correct the misdirected and send them in the right direction.’

Are you wondering if we should judge at all? For Jesus did say in Matthew 7:1 NASB, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.”

But let’s remember that He also said in John 7:24 NASB, “Do not judge by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

So, should we judge or judge not?

Yes, we should judge. But maybe we should reflect and ask ourselves: Have we strayed from the way God wants us to judge?

Let’s look at what the Bible says about the ways we judge. And then we’ll look for a better way to judge.

I wonder how many of us judge others for sins we are capable of doing, or have ourselves done?

To those Paul says, “You who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”  Romans 2:1 NIV

I wonder how many of us are intolerant of the sins of others (sins that include their belief in other gods or their lifestyles), and we use words of guilt to shame them into obedience?

To those Jesus says, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.”   Matthew 7:2 NIV

I wonder how many of us feel we have our Christian life so together that it’s our duty to help others see the light?

Jesus told a parable in Luke 18 to those who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.

Jesus ended the parable saying, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  Luke 18:14 NIV

I wonder how many of us judge others by their outward appearance; the color of their skin, their status in society, or their political affiliation? Before getting to know them?

In Luke 7:36-50, a Pharisee is quick to judge a woman who lived a sinful life. And Jesus is quick to set him straight.

“He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 

You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown.

But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”  Luke 7:44-47 NIV

I earlier mentioned that there are more opportunities to judge than ever before. And I don’t deny the temptation to judge as the world judges.

But recall what Jesus said in John 7:24 NASB, “Judge with righteous judgment.”

The word righteous means to think, feel, and act wholly conforming to the will of God. In practical terms, judging righteously means to judge as God would, in a way that glorifies God.

Our biggest challenge to judging as God would lies in the difference between our hearts and the heart of God.

How is it that God can be holy and just, yet merciful and gracious? God is love.

Whereas for us, loving others is a struggle. We are more inclined to love ourselves before loving others.

And when we do, we allow our self-love to seep into the way we judge.

Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang on the two love commandments. The ways in which we judge is no exception.

Judgment, absent love, is not glorifying to God, nor to us.

Read the passages above again in light of this and you’ll find the common theme is a warning against self-love.

So, where do we go from here?

Begin with love. Let’s make love our motivator for any direction, teaching, or instruction we offer someone who has strayed off course.

In love always,