Are we all hypocrites?
Math Joke: What is a math teacher’s favourite kind of tree? A geometry.
If you wood care to read on (I’m sorry, that’s two lame jokes in the first two lines), today’s post was inspired by Matthew 7:3-5 (NLT), where Jesus says…
And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
To summarize: Why are you being critical of others while ignoring the larger problems in your own life?
Deep down, human nature loves to judge. We’re fond of ignoring our faults and instead trying to prove everyone else wrong. Not only does it make us feel better, but when we focus on what others are doing “wrong”, we disregard our faults. This is the root of Cancel Culture, where society attacks someone for their stance on a topic. We’d rather attack someone for being bold and stating their views than acknowledge our cowardice.
The Speck.
Everyone is a sinner. There, I said it. You can’t find a human who doesn’t have a “speck” in their eye. But nowhere in the Bible does God say, “It’s on you to judge others.” Yet that doesn’t stop human nature. We’ll judge literally anything, from your “sins” to your actions to your job to your favourite sports team to your brand of phone. Don’t do it!
James 4:12 (NLT) declares, “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbour?” I don’t think the Bible can be any clearer. We’re told to confess our sins, not to judge others for what you believe they’re doing wrong.
Proverbs 20:22 (NLT) commands us, “Don’t say, ‘I will get even for this wrong.’ Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.” Last year I went through the difficult process of losing a job. It’s very easy to look back and remember all the ways management “wronged” me, and to think about revenge. But that isn’t my job. Can I forgive sins? Can you? Or is that God’s job? My job is to ask forgiveness for my shortcomings.
A Caveat
There is a big difference between judging someone and advocating for their salvation. Judging someone because they swear or don’t serve others is very different than judging someone because they’re swerving off God’s path. Just five verses after James 4:12 (in verse 17), the author declares, “Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”
God commands us not to judge others – that’s His job. He does command us to steer others in His direction – from an attitude of love, not judgment. While researching today’s post, I found this quote: “Counting other people’s sins doesn’t make you a saint.”
The Log.
Instead of judging other humans, let’s fix our faults. And if you don’t have any, you can start by working on your pride. Romans 3:23 (NIV) says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
I’d like to speak from personal experience. I’ve struggled with comparison and judgment for years. Here’s what I think lies at the root of judgment: we judge others not because we want them to feel worse, but because we want ourselves to feel better. We judge others so we can look at our lives and think, “Hey, at least I’m not doing that…or so and so isn’t doing as much as I am.” This is both sad and prideful.
We don’t know what others are going through, and while that never excuses their actions, it’s not for us to judge them. Nor are we to use others as a means of inflating our egos. My pastor once said, “We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions.” Give people the benefit of the doubt, and pray for them.
Motivational speaker Wayne Dyer said, “Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who you are.” God knew this, and it’s why He gave the Israelites judges to settle their disputes. He knew that if He didn’t, they would judge each other.
How do we break free of judgment? It can be a long road, and it goes against our entire human nature, but it all begins with shifting our mindset…
180 Degrees
Jesus commands us not to judge. Our job is to seek Christ with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength – and to never demean others. This begins with confessing our sins. Only then can we help steer others back onto God’s path. We cannot see the heart of another person – only God can. So rather than judging based on human standards, look at others with His standards in mind.
Here are four “easy” ways to both correct a mindset of judgment and work through your struggles.
1. Read & Study God’s Word
I’m sure you have a Bible in your home, and if not, you can download a Bible app on your phone (like the YouVersion app). Then read the Book (if you can, every day), because it isn’t just any book. And when you’re done reading, pause and think about what you’ve read. Ask yourself, “What steps does God want me to take based on what I’ve learned?”
Joshua 1:8 (NLT) says, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything that is written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in everything you do.”
2. Pray
Bring any and all challenges to God. If you struggle with judging people, ask Him for help. Instead of judging others, pray that God will bless them. And just pray in general. We could all use more prayer in our lives. To quote Philippians, “Bring all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
3. Be an Encourager
Instead of being known as “that person who is always critical of others”, be known as someone who serves others and encourages them. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) declares, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”
4. Know the Heart.
As I watched the House of David, the scene where Samuel visits Jesse stood out. 1 Samuel 16:7 has this to say…
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his [David’s brother’s] appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Rather than hastily judging people, be quick to love them and know their heart. You will never know who a person is by looking at their outward appearance; you must know who they really are. What is their character like? I find this works wonders in my life. When I get to know someone, I realize how ridiculous it was for me to judge them.
To sum up, we all have faults. Everyone has “specks” and “logs” in their eyes. But don’t use others’ sins or shortcomings as a way to elevate yourself (God is working in their lives too). Work through your shortcomings with God, then get out there and connect with people. Judging others is a thought pattern; loving others is an action pattern. You can’t win people to Christ by thinking about how to do it, you can only win others to Christ by doing something about it.
In the words of Christ from Matthew 7:1…
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
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