Judging a Book by its Cover

“Judge not that ye be not judged."  (Matthew 7:1)

When searching for a good read, what grabs your attention first? A solid-colored, hardcover book with a “ho-hum” title or one with an intriguing dust jacket and title that entices you to open it and investigate? Although content is essential, first impressions matter because we often judge by what we see, and not only in books. But sometimes, we’re wrong.

The problem of judging people by their “cover” (other than it being wrong) is that we’re unaware of their “contents.” We haven’t walked where they walked, and unless they tell us, we don’t know what they’re thinking, though some people consider themselves mind-readers. By criticizing others, we expose the possibilities of evil hidden in our lives (Romans 2:1). Except by God's grace, we can say, do, and be that which is offensive to others and contrary to what God wants of His children.

Jesus warns us against rash, unjust judgment towards other people (not the same as drawing conclusions based on apparent evil conduct). Others will judge you by the same standard of verdict you use on them. By which perfect person are you making evaluations? Yourself? Rather than be critical, Jesus said we should examine our behavior. The actions of others that disturb us most are often the same problems as ours—we want their behavioral patterns to change while ours remain unchanged. Judge yourself. Ask God for help to rid your life of the aggravating behaviors you see in others; only then can you rightly form an opinion and offer them support. It’s okay to judge a book by its cover but not people—only God is qualified for that.