Angelus' Quote: Judging Others Is a Major Energy Leak

Judgment halts progress. When we as leaders judge* others, we inhibit our own forward motion. Also, when we judge others, we are not doing our job because we are not in sync with the purpose that moves us forward. In short, it drains our energies 😔 Sometimes we judge others in ways we are unaware of, such as looking to see where they are in the race 🏁 #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #SpiritualLeader

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Leadership #4 Don't Waste Time Judge Others

Jesus saw judging others as a major energy leak. He stated many times that he did not come to judge but that he came to help. He did not spend one minute on the demolition crew. He spent his energy on creation and restoration. Judging others was not his job. He said, “I do not judge you. Your own words judge you” (John 5:45). He knew our accountability. He trusted each of us with our choices [Jesus will come as the Judge. Yes, Jesus doesn’t say absolutely don’t judge, but to judge rightly. He rightly judged the teachers of the Law and Pharisees. Most of our judgement, however, is wrong judgment: destructive and self-centered. Here we are talking about the negative, wrong judgment].

Judgment halts progress. When we as leaders judge others, we inhibit our own forward motion. Also, when we judge others, we are not doing our job because we are not in sync with the purpose that moves us forward. Sometimes we judge others in ways we are unaware of, such as looking to see where they are in the race.

Jesus said to Peter, “What business is it of yours what I say to John?” (see John 21:21-22). Keep your eyes on your own forward motion.

He judged no one because he knew the final count was not in yet. Even the thief nailed on the cross beside him made it into Paradise because, with his dying breath, he acknowledged and saw the truth. Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (see Luke 23:40-43). Jesus did not waste his time or energy judging others.

What kinds of things can you do to support instead of a judge?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus is More Concerned about Your Future than Your Past

Labels. A fellow gave me the other day. We got into a lively discussion about some ethical issues. Somewhere in our conversation he asked me what kind of work I was in. I told him I was minister, and he said, “Oh, I see,” and grew silent.

            I want to say, “No, you don’t. Don’t you put me in that box. I’m not a minister. I’m Max-who-ministers. Don’t you put me in that box with all those hucksters and hypocrites you may know. That’s not fair.”

            Labels. So convenient. Stick them on a person, and you know what pantry to use.

            What if God did that to us? What if God judged us by our outward appearance? What if He judged us based on where we grew up? Or what we do for a living? Or the mistakes we made when we were young? He wouldn’t do that, would He?

            “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).

            Becareful when you judge. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t discern. That does mean we shouldn’t pass the verdict. The amount of grace you give is the amount you get.

            Jesus had another view of the man born blind. Rather than see him as an opportunity for discussion, He saw him as an opportunity for God. Why was he blind? “That the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3).

            What a perspective! The man wasn’t a victim of fate; he was a miracle waiting to happen. Jesus didn’t label him. He helped him. Jesus was more concerned about the future than the past.

            Who do you best relate to in this story? Some of you relate to the man born blind. You have been the topic of conversation. You have been left out on the outside looking in. You’ve been labelled.

            If so, learn what this man learned: When everyone else rejects you, Christ accepts you. When everyone else leaves you, Christ finds you. When no one else wants you, Christ claims you. When no one else will give you the time of day, Jesus will give you the words of eternity.

            Others of you will relate to the observers. You’ve judged. You’ve labelled. You’ve slammed the gavel and proclaimed the guilt before knowing the facts. If that is you, go back to John 9:4 and understand what the work of God is: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

            What is the work of God? Accepting people.

Loving before judging. Caring before condemning.

            Look before you label.

[From A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

"Lord, I Serve in the Church More than Others"

I have a love-hate respond to this wonderful story in the Book of Luke in the New Testament. Partly because Jesus told the story to the deserved self-righteous Pharisees and partly because it is about me, another self-righteous guy. The story was about two men. One man was a Pharisee, one of the respectful religious leaders of the day. The other one was a tax collector, a profession that was typically despised by the Jews and was considered to be sell-out to the Roman occupiers. Again, Jesus was telling this story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves (mostly the religious leaders of the day) over their moral performance and who looked down at the common people:

“Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: ‘Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.’

Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’

Jesus commended: ‘This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself’” (Luke 18:9-14, The Message).

Yeah, I love-hate this story. Here we have two different men. One, the Pharisee, is careful to keep up appearances and do everything right. He takes pride in his moral performance and his extravagant religious activities. If he have Facebook account today I think he would posts many religious pictures, Christian blogs links and spiritual quotes (hmmm… just like me). He might wear sparkling Christian t-shirt, read KJV Bible only and gossiping or pointing fingers at everyone’s, anyone’s faults. In his attitudes, thoughts, actions and words, he looks down on others.

The tax collector, on the other hand, cries out and pleads for God’s mercy and is unashamed to be transparent to admit that he has failed God. Rightly, he confesses his faults, acknowledging that he is not worthy to lift up his face to God and calling himself “a sinner.” His heart attitude is real humility. Wow! How far am I from this kind of humility prayer! Therefore, Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (NIV).

I learned (over and over again) that God is not impress by my appearances or even my many ministries. God is looking at the heart. Our humility, true humility in the presence of God is what Jesus commend to us. Humility, not a habit of self-righteous and pointing out the faults of others, is what God is looking for in us. Ah, this is a wonderful story! I hate-love this story.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

(Don't) Reducing Spirituality to Moral Benchmarks

Without question, one of the principal stumbling blocks the world has when it comes to the Christian faith has to do with Christians themselves, and specifically the question of hypocrisy.

And rightfully so.

The word hypocrite is taken from an old Greek work that refers to the wearing of a mask. In ancient Greece, actors often wore masks according to the character they played. Their character’s appearance on the stage was a façade, an ‘act.’ Hypocrites, then, are mask-wearers. They appear to be one thing, but it’s all a front – behind the mask they are someone else.

The only way this will be addressed is if Christians themselves get a grip on what it mean to follow Christ, and then convey that authentically to the world. What is behind many – not all, but many – charges and accusations against the character and integrity of Christians is the demand for perfection in the life of anyone who claims to be a Christian and urges others to consider Christianity as well. This is not, of course, the true meaning of hypocrite, but even more to the point, it is not an accurate understanding of what it means to enter into the Christian life.

Yet the world holds us to it, because we hold ourselves – and others – to it. We fall prey to the charge of hypocrisy because we have reduced spirituality to a list of moral benchmarks coupled with a good dose of judgmentalism.

The only way to regain our footing is to remind ourselves – and others – that an authentic Christian is simply someone who has made the decision to believe in Jesus as his forgiver and then attempt to follow him as his leader. But nowhere in this series of events is perfection or sinlessness. Rather, there is simply the intentional effort and sincere desire to recognize God as, well, God.

And then we must convey that to the world. Authentically, I am reminded of the words of the great nineteenth-century Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, who wrote in a personal letter,

“Attack me, I do this myself, but attack me rather than the path I follow and which I point out to anyone who asks me where I think it lies. If I know the way home and am walking along it drunkenly, is it any less the right way because I am staggering from side to side!”

Simply put, we must stop presenting ourselves as the message and begin presenting Jesus as the message. There will be disappointment with Christians as long as there are imperfect people. Since all Christians are imperfect, there will always be disappointment. So we must stop having the message of Christ tied to our butchered efforts.

Jim White

Author

Quote from Unchristian by David Kinnaman and Fermi Project (Baker Books, 2007) pg. 65-66

Original title as ‘Reducing Spirituality to Moral Benchmarks’

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Don't Quick to Judge

“There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy.

But who are you to judge your neighbour?” (James 4:12, ESV)

One of the most common negative habits that I dislike – in me and others as well – obviously, is judgmentalism. Judgmentalism is the habit of condemning people or things because they are not the way you think they should be. Judgments are easy to make, but they are hurtful. Have you ever shared your feelings with someone only to be told, “You’re overreacting” or “you bought this on yourself”? Have you ever received a harsh and critical comment for no apparent reason? If so, you know how painful judgmentalism can be.

When you find yourself about to make a judgmental comment, stop and examine what is going on inside you. Are you jumping to negative conclusions without all the facts? Are you spending more time finding fault than looking for the good? Are you judging others to make yourself feel (falsely) superior? People who find fault with others usually find fault with themselves too. It’s painful to be judged. Try not to do it to others or yourself. Instead, strive to accept the world and other people as they are without comparing them to an unfair ideal. If you want to judge, judge yourself first by God’s Word, His standard, then examine yourself all the more, stop and examine yourself again and again, and then – you may judge others. Don’t get into the habit of judgmentalism.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.