I'm Not the Judge

By Andrea Merrell

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you.

Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 6:37 NLT

Sometimes I can be my own worst enemy.

I know what God’s Word says about the importance of loving others, looking for the best in them, and not being critical or judgmental.

But what about me? Do the same rules apply?

I never gave it much thought until reading these words in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:

Stop judging and evaluating yourself; for this is not your role. Above all, stop comparing yourself with other people.

The words hit home. The Bible says judge not, condemn not, and above all, forgive. It’s much easier to apply these instructions to our interactions with others, but in God’s eyes, we do just as much harm when we fail to apply them to ourselves.

When I dwell on my faults and failures, I become critical, mentally beating myself up for missing the mark and not living up to the standards I’ve set for my life. Walking in forgiveness includes extending the same mercy and grace to myself as I would to others, even when I don’t think I deserve it.

There is only One who judges righteously, and that is our Father in heaven Who loves unconditionally and looks past all our faults.

If you have a tendency to be too hard on yourself, remember … you are not the judge.

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Sira Anamwong.)

TWEETABLE

When you mess up, extend the same mercy and grace to yourself as you would to others. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)

To read in browser or leave a comment, click here.