God is love and he wants nothing more than for us to love one another. But so often, we find ourselves judging others and making quick assumptions or judgments about them.
In this article, we will explore what the Bible says about judging others.
Jesus makes it clear in the Bible that we are not to judge others.
In Matthew 7:1 it says “Judge not, that ye be not judged”.
Judgement is something only God can do and we should focus on our own flaws and not the flaws of others. We should not think we are better than anyone else.
We can also find in Luke 6:37, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven”.
It is so important for us to judge not and take the grace we are given to understand and love everyone. We all sin and fall short.
In it says John 7:24, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment”.
This means that it is not enough to simply look at someone’s seemingly good or bad behaviour and pass judgment on them. Instead, we must look at the heart and the person’s true intentions.
The Bible also emphasizes that it is important to love each other. Romans 13:10 says “Love one another, as I have loved you”.
It is our responsibility to treat everyone with love, kindness, and respect, regardless of our differences.
We should not be divisive but rather try and build bridges between different sides.
Colossians 3:13 explains “forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”.
This tells us that we need to be slow to anger and be quick to forgive. We should act with humility and understanding, like Jesus did.
We must also remember that when we judge others, we are being hypocritical. Matthew 7:3 explains “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, But considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
It is easy to see the flaws of others and try to completely change them when we don’t look in the mirror and try to change ourselves.
The Bible and Compersion
The Bible speaks to us about loving one another with compassion and empathy. Galatians 5:22-23 reads “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”.
We need to take the time to understand the motivations and feelings of others and act with the fruits of the Spirit in mind. When we can do this, we are showing true compassion and understanding.
This kind of compassionate understanding is known as compersion. Compersion is the feeling of joy you experience when someone else is happy. It is feeling joy for another person’s joy.
We can strive to feel compersion for others when we don’t pass judgment or take part in gossiping.
Matthew 5:16 says “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”.
We are to do good and shine a light instead of judging, shaming, or condemning others.May everyone take this scripture to heart and bring more love and kindness into this world.
Judging Others in the Workplace
It can be difficult to navigate the workplace without judging others. We live in a competitive world and many of us will naturally compare ourselves and make judgments about those around us.
We need to be mindful of how we treat our colleagues.
Ephesians 4:29 states “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”
We should use our words to encourage and build one another up, not to criticize and tear each other down. Our words and actions have power and can make a difference in the workplace.
Romans 12:10 reads “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another”.
It is important to recognize the qualities of each of our colleagues and honor them for the work they do.
We can also find strength in knowing that all opinions in a team must be heard and respected.
Matthew 7:12 is famously known as “The Golden Rule”. It reads “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
We should treat others as we would like to be treated. We need to be understanding and compassionate with our colleagues.
Finally, we must remember that when our actions reflect the love of God, we can impact people in powerful ways.
We can create an environment that is kind and encouraging, rather than one that is full of judgement and criticism.
Judging Others in Everyday Life
We can also find scriptures that advise on how to deal with judgement from others. In Proverbs 16:28 it says “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends”.
We are told not to gossip or spread rumors about others. This kind of behaviour only leads to conflict and division.
We must also remember to stay humble. Proverbs 16:18 says “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
We should strive to be humble and not think of ourselves as better than anyone else. Instead, we should focus on loving and caring for others.
In Matthew 10:16 it advises us “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
We should strive to be respectful of our differences and use wisdom and understanding when we encounter difficult people and situations.
It can also be a challenge to learn how to deal with unkind behavior from others.
We can find guidance on how to respond in James 1:19-20 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God”. We need to be quick to listen and slow to anger.
We should also not let other people’s judgments stop us from striving for greatness.
Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”.
We are each special and unique, made in the image of God. We should take the time to recognize our individual gifts and be confident in who we are.
The Power of God’s Love
We must remember that God loves us no matter what. In Romans 8:38-39 it is written “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” No matter what mistakes we make, God will always love and accept us.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 it reads “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
We need to strive to love others as God loves us – with kindness, patience, and understanding.
We must also remember that God loves the person we are judging.
In John 13:34-35 it says “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
We are meant to love others, no matter how much we disagree with them.
We should strive to find common ground and show them the same love we would show any other person.
When we can show others the same love and compassion that God has for us, then we have learned the lesson on how to judge others.
We must remember to not judge others harshly and to love everyone through thick and thin. Through this, we can show God’s love to the world and bring hope and love to everybody.
