I don’t know about you but when I see something wrong, I can be pretty quick to form an opinion on the matter, take sides, and even pronounce judgment on whoever I consider to be the guilty party (or parties.) Often, I even feel justified- after all, there are plenty of bad things being done all around us all the time. And it can almost distract me from my own shortcomings when I focus on how bad I think someone else is! But that’s just the problem- it might distract me, but it doesn’t fool anyone else, and certainly not God.
Don’t judge because you think someone’s not perfect. You’re not either! (excerpt from Faith Blockers pt.2, by Dr. Chester C. Pipkin)
When I take a step back and consider the simple fact of my own imperfection, it seems glaringly obvious that I’m in no position to point the finger or hold others up to a standard of perfection that I can’t meet either. Worse yet, when I do so, I set myself up to receive the same condemnation that I dished out to my neighbor.
"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. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ... You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:1-3, 5 ESV)
So instead of offering my judgment where others fall short, I can do a lot more good by working (in partnership with God!) to lift others up and to overcome sin in my own life. It’s a whole lot more useful to pare down that log in my eye than it is to basically poke someone else in the eye trying to call out their speck! Judging and being judged by each other doesn’t really make anything good happen. That’s why I’m getting out of the judging business and leaving that to the only One who’s qualified for the job - God Himself.