Judgemental. What does that word mean to you? How about irresponsible, goody-goody, and irrational? Or maybe you prefer sanctimonious, smug, or snobbish? These are just a few of the word definitions for being judgemental. Unfortunately, these are also some of the words that Christians are being defined by on occasion. As a black man and a bible- believing Christian, these are not the words that I want to be attached to my faith.
Friday nights are usually a night of decompression for myself. I take the opportunity to catch up on my DVR watching and begin to plan my weekend activities. There is a TV show that likes to depict real-life circumstances using actors. The reaction of the real people that have no idea what is taking place is revealing.
What would you Do?
Two controversial scenarios that have been in the news recently are bakers that would not bake a wedding cake for a gay couple in Colorado and Oregon, and a waitress in Illinois with an LBGT tattoo on her arm receiving a rude note on her tab instead of a tip. I must admit that when I heard about/read these stories, my heart was hurt and disappointed. I was not there in the store or the restaurant so, I don’t have all the details that took place.
However, I do study my bible daily, and I believe in my heart that God wants us to love everyone and treat them with respect. When telling someone we won’t provide a service because of their sexual orientation; I believe that is the wrong way to go. As Christians, God has instructed us to love one another-not to judge. We have been chosen by God to live as salt and light to the world-not be judge and jury.
So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15)
Casting Stones?
I understand that this scripture is instructing Christians on how to treat each other as it refers to the body of Christ. Based on this, are we supposed to behave differently with non-believers? If we do, does that make us fake or hypocrites or both? It is easy to become narrow-minded in our Christianity and forgetting the commandments of God. Would a wedding cake not be baked for a couple that had engaged in pre-marital sex or committed adultery? They are also sins in the eyes of God too.
As we seek to live for Christ-we, have to take a deep dive into his Word and see how Jesus Christ treated everyone. He ate dinner with prostitutes and tax collectors. He was willing to heal the sick, the lame, and those with leprosy that were considered outcasts in their time. God has a heart of forgiveness. He has forgiven me and you of our sins as well. Look at what Jesus said to the Pharisees who brought an adulterous woman before Him after being caught in the act.
But Jesus stooped down and with His finger began writing in the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straigthened up and said to them, “ He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.” Again He stopped and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, and He was left alone and the woman where she was. (John 8: 6-8)
Don’t be a Pharisee
In our desire to live for Christ, we mustn’t live passing judgment on those who behave or live differently than we do. God states in His Word that homosexuality is a sin. So is fornication, adultery, lying, coveting, cheating, and stealing. Once Christians make ourselves judge and jury, we are putting us above God and not living as His servants. My friend that is a sin, indeed. If we don’t show love like Jesus to everyone, how can we ever hope to bring people to Christ?
Hurts the testimony of Christians.
When these convictions of faith are made public, it is detrimental to the Christian testimony. Despite the misguided good intentions of a few, it affects the perception of Christians everywhere. God has given us clear instructions on how to carry ourselves as His children. When we lose focus and single out those who are different, it hurts our ability to be a witness for Christ. It is my prayer that you will think twice before judging someone. Ask yourself, is this how Jesus would treat this person or persons?
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give prefrence to one another in honor;…fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty in mind…do not be wise in your own estimation. (Romans 12:9-16)
Making Progress?
This post is not meant to be an attack on my brothers and sisters in Christ who felt led by their convictions to honor God. I want to remind us as Christians how crucial it is to remember who we are in Christ. It is not our role here on earth to pass judgment whether in private or publicly. We have a responsibility to bring others to Jesus not send them rushing away with a perception of us as judgemental homophobes or modern day Pharisees. Just this week in the Philippines, Christians showed up at a Gay pride parade toting signs stating “we’re sorry” apologizing for how they have treated the LBGT community. I’m more impressed by the signs that read, God loves you, and so do we.
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way that you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brothers eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:1-3)
In Closing
God expects His children to be better. Being judgemental is not part of the package. Jesus wants us to stand firm in our faith-showing the kindness and humility that He exhibited during His time on earth. I hope this post inspires us to look closely at how we treat people who live differently. We don’t want to give Satan the opportunity to stand before Jesus laughing at how we behave. Were are to be shining lights that glorify God and lead people to Christ. That is how Christians are instructed to live. What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share in the comments. Thank you for joining me here today.
Horace
Horace Williams Jr is the oldest son of a pastor who went to be with Jesus in 2020. He is an award-winning author and amateur chef who loves Jesus Christ. His passion for Christ inspires readers to draw nearer to the God who loves them.
Brave of you to take on this topic, Horace! I wrestle with similar thoughts so often. Like where the line between using good judgment and being judgmental falls, how to speak truth in love, and where grace becomes enabling…. It’s a struggle, to be sure and I’m thankful you’re opening the dialog! Blessings!
Thank you, Liz. God has given me the courage to share what has been stirring in my heart about this subject for a while. It hurts me deeply when I see Christians being portrayed as judgmental. Yes, it is a fine line but in God’s wisdom, we can show love and be the salt and light He desires us to be for His glory. I am hoping to remind myself and Christians how essential it is to show love and not judge. Thanks for visiting today. Have a wonderful weekend, and God bless you and yours.
Beautifully said about a challenging topic. So glad to visit you today from the fresh market friday link up. laurensparks.net
Thanks for visiting and the kinds words. Glad you enjoyed this post. Blessings.
This is a subject close to my heart, Horace. I was raised in a branch of the Baptist church where we were taught to judge. Everyone doing wrong, or not in our sect was fair game. It wasn’t until I was in the 10th grade when I heard “we were wrong”. A friend told me how a Pentecostal friend was told he was going to hell while in class because he didn’t belong to our denomination. The Lord allowed a sad conversation to shed a little light on my heart. When I married my husband, he took me out of that teaching (he was raised Pentecostal) and I have learned to realize behind every face, there is a soul. A soul that will spend eternity somewhere and I am to live in a way that points to Heaven. Thank you for sharing your heart, Horace.
Wow, that is a fascinating tidbit about yourself, Lori. Praise God for His divine wisdom in blessing your marriage. Through your bond, you both seek Him and live to glorify God. May we make it a priority to point people to Christ and leave judgement to God. Have a great weekend and God bless you and yours dear friend.
This is a complicated subject. We do need to show God’s love to everyone, but there are times when going along with something isn’t the most loving thing we can do. We don’t want to look across that chasm someday and have anyone say, why didn’t you share the truth with me. But we must always do it out of a desire to reach the other person for Christ and live for His glory. We can’t judge someone else’s heart, but we are to judge sin otherwise Jesus would not have said we’ll know a tree by its fruit. When I have to speak a challenging truth to someone, I try to preface it by saying something like, I’m not sharing this because I’m without my own struggles or because I haven’t done far worse, but because I care about you and I don’t want you to have to suffer the consequences I did.
Donna. Thanks for visiting today. I never intended to suggest going along with anything. The point I’m hoping to make is to be wary of passing judgement. Especially in denying service to or mistreating someone because they live or behave in sin. I believe God wants us as Christians to focus on how we can reach people instead of pushing them away with judgemental attitudes and treatment. Thanks again for the visit. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless you and your family.
Forgive me, I didn’t mean to imply that you were. But sometimes, even participating in something like a wedding is giving passive approval. It is a conscience issue for some.
There is nothing to forgive, Donna. I truly appreciate your feedback. That was part of my intention in writing this post-create a dialogue. It just hurts my heart to see Christians portrayed as judgemental by the media and others at times. I know those who live in darkness will never understand the responsibilities of Christians to live a life that is pleasing to God. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Be well and God bless.
Thanks for this thought-provoking post, Horace! It is a subject I have been thinking about quite a bit lately. The balance between grace and truth can be so tricky to find at times. I agree, we need to show God’s love to everyone, and it saddens me when people have been badly hurt by Christians. Finding a way to lovingly disagree without it coming across as judgemental is the part that I find hard!
Indeed, finding that balance can be tricky. It is imperative for us to be led by the Spirit versus our feelings- which can hurt our testimony at times. I don’t want to come across as judgemental. I hope to bring people to Christ so they can reap the benefits of an intimate relationship with Him Thanks for sharing your thoughts Lesley. I hope you have a wonderful week and may God bless you and yours in all your endeavors.
“Would a wedding cake not be baked for a couple that had engaged in pre-marital sex or committed adultery? They are also sins in the eyes of God too.” That is such a good point, Horace. Your post is spot on, because we will judge from what we can see (that the persons are obviously gay). But sin is sin. Jesus sitting to eat with sinners didn’t mean that He condoned their sin. If He had cut off the sinner, they would not have found salvation (e.g. Zacchaeus). I’ve been meaning to hop over and read this, but it’s been harder for me to have time to visit around the web while running a network. And btw, while the BVN is for women, the linkup is for all Christian bloggers, men included. I wanted to clarify that in case you ever wanted to participate in it. Many blessings to you, friend!
Thank you Kelly for clarifying about the link up. I wanted to share this post there but didn’t. I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I had been wanting get this off my chest and share my thoughts. I so desire to be more like Christ, but I know I can only do it in His strength. I pray He will empower me to be a shining light for His glory. Always great to hear from you Kelly. Have a wonderful week friend and God bless.
Thank you, Horace, for your beautiful post and for sharing your faith and Christ’s love. God bless you!
Thank you, Julie for stopping by and the kind words. God bless you as well.
Horace! I really hadn’t heard this slant on that court case. I so appreciate your sharing your point of view. I wrestle with seeing so many judgmental attitudes out there, but it’s hard to know how to respond to our culture that has gone so far off track. Thanks or giving us food for thought. And I love the new look of your blog. Great work!
Hello, Betsy. What a blessing it is to have you visit here again. I know you and your family are returning from your missionary service in Turkey. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Yes, it is sad to see how the world continues to turn away from God. There seems to be this slant that wants to make Christians the enemy as we seek to represent Christ. May we live our lives in love and show that love that Christ shows us when confronting those who don’t believe in Him. The constant changes are a reminder of the necessity to immerse ourselves in God’s Word so that we can be the shining light and examples of Christ that God desires. Thanks again for the visit today. You are always welcome here. I’m glad you like the new look of my site. I was beginning to think no one noticed. Haha. Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful week and may God continue to bless you and your family in all your endeavors. Be well dear sister in Christ. Blessings.
This is such a tough subject, Horace! Thank you for challenging us to reach out with love and kindness. I do think there are times when God wants us to share what His Word says about the social issues that are dividing us … but we need to listen with care and compassion and speak with gentleness and respect. We shut down conversation and hinder opportunities when we forget that we’re sinners in need of forgiveness too. Blessings! Great post!
I agree, Deb. It is indeed a tough subject and a fine line we must walk as Christians. We may never get the chance to share the truths in God’s WEord if we are too quick to pass judgment on people. Listening with care and compassion is key. God will give us the words to say at the proper time. Thank you for visiting today. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this post. It is always encouraging to hear from you. Deb Have a blessed Sunday and wonderful week! Be well and God bless.