Jim Kelly knows, without a doubt, that Tom Brady is a cheater. John Stewart is certain that Fox News lies about everything. And, Bill O'Reilly has no doubt that everyone at CNN is liberal and biased.
How do these people know these things? Are they brighter? Did they learn this skill in college? Are they from another planet? Sadly, I fear that judgement is just a symptom of a greater social sickness from which we all suffer: we are addicted to ourselves. There is no fear, trepidation or concern for others; only concern for self.
And, those of us in Christ are not immune to this sickness. Scripture is somewhat absolute on the whole, "only God knows the heart" thing; yet, we still think we possess an ability to know the hearts of others. There is no concern for truth or someone's reputation; there is only an all-consuming concern for self.
This sickness seems to be everywhere and has reached an epidemic state. It can be found in churches and in Christian business, in ministries and inside Christian schools. It seems like everyone is so busy judging everyone else that there is little time to left to be concerned about one's own spiritual state.
Is that the issue? Do we judge others because we do not want to see what a mess our lives really are? Are we still playing king of the hill? Are we still knocking people down so we can climb higher? Scripture makes such succinct statements regarding judgement. We are not to judge or risk being judged by the King yet, we continue to judge.
I must confess that I, myself, am a recovering judge. I lived, worshiped and worked inside a vortex full of this judgement mentality. Judgement comes in all flavors when you live by it. It is found in your humor, your faith, your relationships and your spirit. It is sprinkled in your comments. You tend think your better than others. You make fun of what others believe.And, others, well, they become expendable.
Judges live to judge. Anyone who disagrees is discarded. Conversations are laced with gossip, and alliances are drawn up. Judges tend to be paranoid and insecure. Judges never admit to being wrong, and they never ever utter the words, "I am sorry." Judges enjoy conversations with those who agree with them, but avoid those people who disagree. Differences of opinion and thought are not welcomed in the kingdom of a judge.
Thankfully, I was saved from this life, but my salvation was not clean nor easy. It was hard and rough with jagged deep cuts to my soul. It was filled with harsh realities, broken relationships and isolation. At times, I did not know if my faith would survive the process, but here I am, thanks to a Holy God who did not forsake me.
I awake each morning with new eyes. I have discovered that judging others blinds you to everything else. When you judge others you really only see one thing... yourself. You only worry about yourself. You only think about yourself. It is a dreadful addiction, and one from which every person suffers in one way or another. When you are addicted to yourself you miss what God has put in front of you in order to help you grow in Him... others.
When others are subservient to you, as they inevitably will be when you judge them, you miss out on what God has for you. It is often others that God uses to minister to us. Judgement robs us of others and, ultimately, robs us of God.
What we do not realize is that when we make ourselves a judge we are trying to become like god, and that never ends well. There is only one judge who can discern the heart. There is only one judge who can judge without hypocrisy. There is only one judge whose judgement will stand for eternity, and that judge is not confined to a celestial body. That judge is coming again... soon.
So, climb to the top of the hill, if you must;but, as for me, I have a growing fondness for bottom of the hill.
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