Expert Opinion

It’s okay to judge. You looked at a hundred book titles for the best read and chose the one that grabbed your attention with its intriguing title and graphic on the cover. You opened your closet and decided which clothes to keep, donate, and toss. You thought the matters over and made a decision. But sometimes, we make decisions based on wrong first impressions, like rash, unjust judgments towards others. Jesus said when we do, they will judge us by the same standard of verdict we use on them: “Judge not that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Rather than be critical, He said we should examine our faults and behavior, judge ourselves before we scrutinize someone else. By judging others, we expose what we are guilty of doing (Romans 2:1); we want their behavioral patterns to change while ours stay unchanged. What perfect example is your standard for judgment? God alone is Judge—no one else qualifies.