There is a saying that goes "don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes". And although we know that it is true, do we really respect it? And do we really try to understand the other person? Their circumstances, their past, and their behavior? Or do we just put on our black judge robes, and ask for silence in our own court while we make a ruling?
John 7:24 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Have you ever asked yourself why the Bible warns us against judging the outward appearance? May it possibly be because we will only see the dirty and stinky homeless person, the prostitute, an alcoholic, a drug addict? In a different perspective, if a person full of tattoos and piercings as well as someone dressed in a nice suit and tie show up at your doorstep, how different will you treat the two of them? In John 8 we read the story of the woman who was brought to Jesus because someone caught her in the very act of committing adultery. In those days a lot of |
wrongdoings were liable to be punished by death, including adultery. So automatically the scribes and Pharisees tempted Jesus (and maybe even tried to test His knowledge of the Law of Moses?), by requesting that this woman must be stoned to death. But instead, He surprised them all, by saying “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7). Now I don’t know about you, but when I read this, it humbles me. If Jesus can set someone free who committed adultery, who are we to drag along accusations and hate? And we sometimes fill our “accusation & hate bags” to the top and then drag it with us for years, instead of just releasing and forgiving others in the Name above all Names – Our Savior Jesus Christ!
In Proverbs 4:23 we read “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life” (Amplified). This verse concludes to me why we are not to judge the noticeable appearance of people. For it is in the soul dimension (your heart forms part of this dimension) of our being that good and evil start, not the fleshly body. So the next time you see a dirty homeless person, the drug addict, and the prostitute, the person full of tattoos and piercings, or even the nicely dressed person; instead of judging rather ask yourself what is their story? What is really going on inside their hearts? What type of examples have they had in their childhood? What type of pain, disappointment and trauma have they maybe had to endure as children or adults? We all sometimes do things on the outside only to hide the hurt on the inside! Do not judge, just be there and shower the people around you and the people you meet with Jesus’s love. Because by showing Godly love you have the possibility of winning a soul for the Kingdom of God (where God will work with them, don’t worry!), but by judging you might forever loose that beautiful soul. And remember the words of John 8:7 “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone”.
2 Corinthians 7: 1 “All these promises are made to us, my dear friends. So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy by living in awe of God” (Good News Bible). Allow our Lord Jesus Christ to be the only judge, purify yourself, and do not try and do justice by condemning others.
So, before you ever ask for silence in your court to judge anyone again, rather ask them to borrow their boots…and walk a couple of miles in it!
Jesus loves you!
Yolandi
In Proverbs 4:23 we read “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life” (Amplified). This verse concludes to me why we are not to judge the noticeable appearance of people. For it is in the soul dimension (your heart forms part of this dimension) of our being that good and evil start, not the fleshly body. So the next time you see a dirty homeless person, the drug addict, and the prostitute, the person full of tattoos and piercings, or even the nicely dressed person; instead of judging rather ask yourself what is their story? What is really going on inside their hearts? What type of examples have they had in their childhood? What type of pain, disappointment and trauma have they maybe had to endure as children or adults? We all sometimes do things on the outside only to hide the hurt on the inside! Do not judge, just be there and shower the people around you and the people you meet with Jesus’s love. Because by showing Godly love you have the possibility of winning a soul for the Kingdom of God (where God will work with them, don’t worry!), but by judging you might forever loose that beautiful soul. And remember the words of John 8:7 “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone”.
2 Corinthians 7: 1 “All these promises are made to us, my dear friends. So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy by living in awe of God” (Good News Bible). Allow our Lord Jesus Christ to be the only judge, purify yourself, and do not try and do justice by condemning others.
So, before you ever ask for silence in your court to judge anyone again, rather ask them to borrow their boots…and walk a couple of miles in it!
Jesus loves you!
Yolandi