Do Not Judge

Do Not Judge “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.” John 7:24 So often in life we are all guilty of judging other people by what we see or believe to be true. The Bible tells us never to judge others because we do not know their hearts as only God can be the true judge of others. Things so often are not really what they seem to us and we can make serious mistakes when we begin to judge others, such as the humorous joke below. Henry and Ellen were both patients in a mental hospital. One day when they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Henry suddenly jumped into the deep end, and slowly sank to the bottom. Ellen quickly jumped in to save him and pulled him to safety. The hospital doctor saw the act of heroism and immediately ordered that Ellen could be discharged, as she had shown good judgment and was now mentally stable. As Ellen was leaving the doctor came to wish her well and gave her some bad news, that Henry had hung himself after he got back to his room and was dead. Ellen replied, “He didn’t hang himself, I put him there to dry.” Can I go home now? This is what can happen when we try to know what really is going on with other people, and is in their hearts and minds. Things many times are not what they appear to be on the surface, as there are things that can cause people to react the way they do. Stress and anxiety, financial pressure, relationship issues and family situations can cause people to react in ways that we are not accustomed to them reacting. We need to withhold our judgment on others as we do not know the real situation behind their actions, as so often we can make mistakes that can damage someone forever. Only God can be the judge of others, and we need to leave their judgment solely to Him. My Daily Devotional Volume III May 7 Robert William Brock, Jr.