Do not judge or you will be judged.
Written By: A No Longer Bound Resident, Austin
When asked, although we may deny the fact, we are all guilty of judging others. It is a human act we all fall to. The definition of the word judgment is the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions. The Lord spoke to Samuel and said, “… The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) And even if we try our best we will fail in this direction every time. In Revelation, a phase in the curriculum here at No Longer Bound, we are asked to look into our judgments. Why we make them, along with the vows we make after the judgments. An example of this would be if someone lied to you and you say, “I hate people that always lie, I would never lie about something like that.” It is a judgment on someone’s motive and a promise to ourselves and others that you would never repeat the action you find offense in.
Press and Print
When we come across judgments in our lives they are often in response to a lie we have believed. We try to guard ourselves against an internal response or irritation felt towards someone else. A trigger we don’t want to be pulled or a button we don’t want to be pushed. When this “lie button” is pushed a judgment is printed and our self-defense is activated and our self-worth is guarded. Often the judgments stem from a belief that is self-damaging and reflected through the judged.
I don’t Have The Power, But God Does
With the direction given to Samuel, the Lord was trying to change our beliefs. Because our responses show we are not effective judges. We have the horrible habit, and practice, of skewing what we think we know with half-truths, mix in assumptions and there is a recipe to make ourselves feel more important. Feeling better about ourselves, in attempts to protect the lies we believe within. Every judgment is passed through an internal filter of predetermined beliefs. Beliefs either learned early in life or experienced throughout life. These judgments are important tools we use to break others down while our vows build us up. Vows and judgments separate us from others due to the protection of false beliefs through a power stemming entirely from ourselves. Our vows are made up of “I” statements and a belief that “I have the power” to refrain from the action without God’s help. With this separation from God’s help, we also separate from others. Although we all want connection we fail to combat our emotions and internal dialogue with God’s truth.
Destroy What the Enemy Rooted Early On
Once the choice to listen to God’s truth and accept his help is made we begin to destroy the enemy’s work. The enemy has a lot of effort put into some of us a constant war having been waged since we were little. The enemy doesn’t want you to wake up to the true person you are. Your true identity is a threat not only to the enemy but to the status quo of the world. I challenge you to look into the judgments you pass on others. Also view the lies you are protecting with those judgments. Perhaps they are deeply rooted in a learned or experienced tactic of thinking from when you were young or they are newly learned, either way, I challenge everyone to then ask God to show where the lies within yourself dwell and ask for them to be changed.
Partners With God
When we ask God to help us renounce the vows we have set ourselves we enter into a partnership with God himself. Dispelling the unhappiness and resentments we build within by allowing others and yourself grace. once realized and renounced watch how the number of judgments and vows you make decrease in your daily life. Bringing happiness and richer opportunities to get to know others that you may never have given a chance previously in life. Remember the teaching “Do not judge, of you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.…” (Matthew 7:1)
-Austin