“PERSONAL EVALUATION”

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

Matthew 7:1-2

It is said that if we point a finger at someone, we're actually pointing four at ourselves.

In our previous blog, we learned that Christians are to exercise restraint and learn to listen more. Here’s our second tip on dealing with conflict in a church setting:

Examine your involvement.

It’s a whole lot easier to point fingers than to own up to your own mistakes. In today’s passage, Jesus prohibits one kind of judging but approves a different kind. What does he mean? He’s telling us that condemning others for their faults is a failure to show mercy. From another angle, judging someone while you are guilty of the same sin is simply hypocrisy.

To set the record straight, Jesus is not saying that we should not judge at all. In fact, in John 7:24, He said that we must be careful to make the right judgments instead of judging others by external appearances. Jesus is telling us to avoid being judgmental and overcritical. Those who do so will, in turn, be judged, not by people but by God Himself. Why? Because anyone who gives such a judgment takes God's place.

How does this principle apply to our lesson in this series? We have to evaluate ourselves and see if we have any part in the conflict. Sometimes, we are too focused on other people's mistakes that we fail to see our own. Doesn't that make us blind? Is it possible that we contributed to the problem, and that we need to admit our mistakes and acknowledge that we are wrong? Being able to do this is a step toward conflict resolution. But you have to be humble enough to admit you're wrong.

I know that it's easier to point fingers than own up to one's guilt. But if our goal is to resolve a dispute, we have to set aside the urge to defend ourselves and acknowledge our fault. 

But even when we feel like we have no part in wrongdoing, it wouldn't hurt to be meek and deferential. If we look at biblical heroes like Daniel and Nehemiah, we will see that they counted themselves as part of Israel's guilt. While they could have washed their hands and asserted their righteousness, they held themselves accountable instead.

But how about us? Do we have the humility to assess ourselves and recognize our faults? But even when we feel innocent, do we love people enough to bridge the gap and restore our relationship with them?

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Christopher Sardegna on Unsplash