Don’t Judge Me!
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”--James 4:10-12
The disapproving glances. The critical tone of voice. The not-quite-audible “hmmph” intended to communicate that I didn’t quite fit in. Okay, maybe I had it coming for wearing my little Speedo to the beach. They do it every day in Europe, you know! Still, it hurts to feel judged by people.
And it’s not always about swim wear. We judge each other for all kinds of things -- the clothes we wear, how much we spend on our clothes, how much skin our clothes cover (or don’t). We judge each other for our words, our voices, and our breath. We judge each other body size, athletic ability, and GPA.
And we definitely judge each other for being soooo judgmental. It seems like we just can’t escape this issue of judging and being judged. But anyone who takes the Bible seriously has to deal with this. Here, James spelled out that when we judge others -- even for actual sinful choices -- we’re trying to take God’s place, in a way.
In Romans 14, Paul said that’s especially true when we judge each other about “disputable matters.” And in Matthew 7, Jesus pointed out the undeniable truth that people who judge will be judged with the same intensity that flows out of their own critical hearts.
Does that just mean we should all be okay with what anyone says, does, or believes all the time -- no matter how wrong it is. No. We’re not slipping over to the dark side of “political correctness” and an eighth-grade assembly “tolerance talk.” If you’ve read any of the rest of the book of James, you know he’s not shy about saying what’s right and wrong. He makes it clear that God wants us to know the difference between truth and lies, between sin and “righteousness.” And He wants us to help each other see those differences.
At the end of the next chapter, James will say that saving a “sinner” from the error of his ways is a good thing. A very good thing. To do that, we’ll have to look at our friends’ lives and make some judgments about sin. Jesus and Paul both urged their readers to make judgments about the truth.
We’re talking about a different kind of judging -- and a different kind of motive. Starting with motive, every time the Bible urges believers to get in the faces of other believers, it was for the good of that person and the rest of the body. If I really love you -- and I have a relationship with you -- I’ll be brave enough to come to you when you’re making wrong, hurtful choices and try to help you turn back in the right direction.
No, the kind of “judging” that is sinful -- and that we all take part in -- might be best described this way: “lowering the value of another person in our eyes based on their actions, beliefs, or circumstances.” James also warned against “slandering” or “speaking against” others. We might describe that as trying to lower the value of someone in another person’s eyes.
But what do we do about it? How do I stop my mind from immediately valuing people based on what they wear, who they root for, and even how they treat me? Three ideas.
1) Change how you think about you.
How much of heaven do you deserve? (Hint: None.) How much of your “goodness” comes through faith in Jesus? (Hint: All of it.) What makes you better than any other human being created in the image of God? (Hint: Nada.) God is responsible for every single good thing about me.
2) Change how you think about others.
In chapter 3, James said it’s backwards when we curse people “made in God’s image.” Everyone has the same value that we do because every single person is made from God’s template. More, every single person will stand before God to be judged just as we will. Why would I want to stand in God’s place as judge for a poor sinner just like me?
3) Recycle mercy.
Understanding how much God has forgiven me -- how much mercy He has showered on me -- should make me want to imitate Him and start spreading that mercy to everyone I meet.
Even the ones wearing Speedo’s at the beach.
A Better Secret
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”--Phil. 4:11-13
You’ll often see the last verse from the passage above -- verse 13 -- quoted as someone’s favorite verse or life verse. It’s kind of heroic sounding: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul’s confidence in God’s power in his own life helps us to believe we can also do anything in God’s power. And we can.
It’s no wonder the verse shows up on plaques and posters. For some reason, I always associate it with athletes. Call in the cheerleaders!
But we don’t often hear people talk about the verse in the context of this whole passage. The “everything” Paul is specifically referring to is contentment. I’d rather think of the everything as having to do with overcoming huge odds to pull off an unlikely success -- reaching the summit of the mountain, winning the game in the fourth quarter, coming back from a devastating illness, overcoming great hardship.
But in this context, the “everything” seems to be about feeling content in Christ even when I don’t reach the summit. Or when we lose in the 4th quarter. Or when that devastating illness just won’t go away. Paul says, “I’ve learned to be content when I’ve got plenty of cash and all my needs met right now -- AND I’ve learned to be content when I’m all the way broke and don’t know where my next meal is coming from.”
The puts a different spin on the verse, doesn’t it? It’s not about having God’s strength to win it all. It’s about having God’s strength to remain content -- peaceful, satisfied, trusting, joyful -- even when all the evidence points to the fact that I might have lost it all. That’s when we need the most courage.
Notice something else: Paul says, “I have learned the secret of being content . . .”
Contentment wasn’t something that just came naturally, even to him. He had to learn it. He called it a secret. And what’s the secret? Well, the short answer is that he could “do” anything (even being content) through God’s strength“ The long answer is in the passage we looked at last week: verses 4-8. I won’t break it all down again, but the outcome of learning to actively trust God even in the worst moments was to have God’s own peace, beyond understanding, guarding our hearts and minds.
You’re an insider. You also know the secret to being content in every circumstance -- even the lousy ones. The harder question for you and me: Will we practice the secret? Will we choose, in God’s strength, to be content even when we’re losing, failing, falling apart? Will we practice trusting God in exchange for His impossible peace even when the worst thing we feared actually happens?
Or will we refuse to be at peace, content, satisfied, joyful until the right things line up the way we want them to? Will we demand that God meet our minimum standards for a ”good enough“ life before we’ll accept His peace in the status quo?
The best choice is obvious. But for me, anyway, it’s not he one I always pick. I’m not sure why. I’m going to try to do it today. Want to join me?
