Judgmental Christians? Yes, Please.

A common misconception amongst Christians is that we are never to judge anyone. That couldn’t be more wrong. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just because you’ve seen or experienced someone failing at true judgment. What we are not to do is judge people’s motives and hearts lightly based on mistakes and decide that we know how they will always be. Jesus tells us to judge rightly, not according to our pride and condemnation of others.

John 7:23-24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

It’s not okay to see something wrong and not confront it in love. Notice in scripture it says we are to make sure we’re good and clean in our hearts…and then we still need to go to the other person.

Matthew 7:1-5

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what measure you judge, you will be judged; and by the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’, and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First, remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

This doesn’t mean we have to confront every tiny thing, but it does mean when we do see something that requires it, it’s our duty to do so. And when we do have to make a call on whether something is right or not, be aware that we’ll be judged by the same measure as we use when judging another. And, we’d better learn to do it well now on Earth because we will do it at the end of the age.

I Corinthians 6:3

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

Pray Aloud

Heavenly Father, please show me where I have not stood up for what’s right and need to be forgiven. I ask that You will burn in my heart any time there is something that I need to speak up about and that I will do it in love. I also ask that You will give me a humble and teachable heart when someone needs to confront me.