Don’t Tell Me What To Do….

When people tell you not to judge, what they are really saying is, “don’t tell me what to do”. Their pride will not allow them to see their sinful behavior, and without proper diagnosis, there’s no hope of restoration. When Jesus talked judging, He never told us to “wing it”, not to make examined decisions. He told people to not judge hypocritically. We make judgements every day. Judgements are good. The point He’s making is this: we are not God, we don’t have 100% of the evidence to condemn anyone. But that doesn’t mean we can’t use His standard of discerning right from wrong. Throughout scripture it’s clear that we have the standards that God has set in place to help, convict, and discipline those whom God has called to be witnesses for Him. This standard is what we are to use in aiding someone in need. But before we apply any of these standards to others, we are to apply them to ourselves first. “Pull the log out of your own eye first, then you can clearly see to remove the splinter from your neighbor’s eye.” When people get angry and tell you not to judge, you kindly tell them that you are abiding in God’s kingdom by using the standard properly, in order to help them see the error of their ways. If they still refuse to listen, shake the dust off your feet and move on. Remember, we are not God, so our judgements shouldn’t condemn, for we do not know their final destiny. But if we love them, then we will tell them the truth (in love), in order to keep them from condemning themselves. Don’t judge doesn’t mean keep your mouth shut. It simply tells us that the person expressing those words to us, doesn’t think his behavior needs any altering. Why would the Bible tell us to develop good judgement and treasure wisdom?

7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. 8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. 9 She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.” Proverbs 4:7-9