Picky People!

When Jesus said, "judge not that you be not judged," He was encouraging us to review the repercussions of being judgmental.  Harsh and critical folk make themselves vulnerable to public scrutiny.  The kind of evaluations we make of others is usually the kind of evaluation we receive.  In other words, "what goes around, comes around." If we are "picky, picky" people then, most likely, we are going to be picked at with a similar pickiness.  Opinionated folk who are always making the latest pronouncements on everything are required to live up to their impressive knowledge.

Being judgmental implies a righteousness most of us do not have.  Our inconsistencies become glaringly obvious when we try to advertise the discrepancies of others.  No one is more eager to dig up our dirt than those whose dirt we have exposed.  It seems to be a human tendency to return dirt for dirt.

Probably the most obnoxious people we know are those who are always trying to set other people straight.  To be honest, we often feel a little satisfaction when the cracks in their armor are revealed.  It is not a healthy way to live because our focus is on the behavior of others rather than on our own behavior.  We get sidetracked into peripheral issues which greatly hinder our opportunities to witness.  Our most effective sharing of Christ is not done from a super-Christian mentality but from a humble disposition of shared grace.  A superior attitude is a breeding ground for bitterness and resentment.

Jesus knew that the only way to stop the cycle of hate and verbal retaliations was to discourage a judgmental disposition.  Christian love, fellowship and witness are greatly enhanced when we resign from the "god business."   Personal relationships thrive when we are honest about who we are and kind about who others are.  The truth of the matter is we never know enough to be judges.  At best, our opinions are at the mercy of limited facts.  Perhaps our most wholesome attitude toward the sins of others comes from the lips of our Lord.  "Neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more."