How easy is it to judge other?

1 John 4:9 (ESV)

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and as you looked around it didn’t give you very high hopes for the food? I remember once ordering a sandwich just hoping I would be able to eat the sandwich without gagging. As I bit into my sandwich I didn’t have an expectations that the sandwich was going to be good. I took the first bite, and to my surprise, the sandwich was great! In fact, it was one of the best ones I had ever had. I couldn’t believe it, how could I have been so wrong about a sandwich?

That sandwich reminds me a lot of how easy it is to judge others. You can see how a person acts, the clothes they wear, or even the friends they have and put that person into a box. We write certain people off because of how they treated us, or how we perceive them. However, just like I was wrong about the restaurant being good, many times, our judgements of people can be wrong.

Another thing about judging others is that it cheapens the price Jesus paid for mankind. Jesus gave his life for all humanity. That means each person has value to God. From the most popular to the least popular, each person matters to God. Because each person matters so much to God, when we judge others we cheapen the price God paid for each person.

So the next time you’re tempted to pass judgement on someone. To look down on them for what they wear or how they act remember that they are important to God. He loves them and wants them to have the chance to get to know Him. So the next time you’re tempted to judge someone, use it as an excuse to share God’s love with that person instead. See the person like God sees them and invite them to start a relationship with a loving God.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would not judge others. Help us to share Your love with them and bring them to You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.