A Prayer to Avoid Unrighteous Judgment
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2, ESV).
Listen or Read Below:
The women’s ministry at my church hosts monthly women’s gatherings where we enjoy food, fellowship, worship, teaching, and table discussions. It is truly such a sweet time together with my sisters in Christ. For the last four years, I have had the joy and privilege of serving as a table leader during our discussion time after the teaching. One thing I truly appreciate about our women’s ministry leadership team is that they prayerfully assign each woman to a specific table, ensuring a wide variety of ages and experiences. We also all get the wonderful opportunity and blessing to meet new ladies each month.
This past month, I had three women at my table who were new to the church and whom I had not yet met. During the teaching, one of the younger women to my right flipped to every scripture reference in her study Bible, diligently highlighting and taking notes, even though a handout with all of that information was already provided. It’s very common for the women to simply follow along with the outline and pay attention to the slides that already have the scripture references displayed for us. My mind immediately questioned… why is she highlighting so much in her Bible and taking all these notes? Is she trying to impress us or look more committed than the rest of us?
It didn’t take long during our discussion for me to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, which became clear to me after she shared a little about herself. Just two months prior, she stepped foot in our church for the first time… which was her very church experience ever in her whole life. She also had never read the Bible before. Christianity was completely new to this sweet college student, who was invited to our church by one of her classmates (who happens to be a member). There was no avoiding it; I had passed improper judgment upon this young lady who was so incredibly eager to know more about Jesus and His word. These are moments we pray for, and here I was making assumptions and almost missing out on hearing about God working in someone’s heart. I was immediately reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (vv. 1-2).
To be sure, this verse is widely taken out of context and often used to condemn those who long to uphold God’s truth and call out false teachers. Jesus does not tell us not to judge at all, especially when it comes to using our discernment. When we must judge between truth and error, evaluate sinful behavior to keep each other accountable as Christians, or share the gospel with unbelievers, righteous judgment is needed. When we make assumptions about others or find ourselves being judgmental and overly critical to tear others down, we must repent for that behavior. This is the type of judgment that Jesus warns us about. If we hold others to a standard that we ourselves are not willing to follow, we are hypocrites, and that is precisely what this passage in Matthew is highlighting.
It’s important to remember that we cannot allow our observations about others to create an image in our minds about them, especially if we do not know the other person whatsoever. When we pass judgment or make assumptions about someone or their character, we hinder our relationship with that person and create a wall in our hearts. We could miss out on a wonderful, Christ-centered conversation or quite possibly even a beautiful friendship. One of the best ways to guard our hearts from this kind of overly critical and judgmental attitude is to remember how much Christ loved us even when we were sinners (Romans 5:8). We should long to extend that kind of grace and kindness towards others since we were so undeserving of such generosity, mercy, and compassion from the Lord. Ultimately, we are all image bearers, and each person should be seen as such. May the Lord help lift our gaze from ourselves and onto whom He may want us to reach and show His love to… unrighteous judgment free.
Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father,
I am so undeserving of Your great mercy and compassion. How could I be so selfish as to keep that love to myself and withhold it from others? I repent for being unnecessarily critical and judgmental of others, sometimes even assuming motives or personality based on a few interactions or observations. You created each one of us and long for us to know Your love. Help me be a carrier of that love and light to the world. When I am tempted to view others unfairly in a negative light, convict my heart of its selfish and self-seeking ways. I long to walk humbly and mercifully just like You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
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