One day a brother whom seldom had much contact with his sister called her to set her straight.  He’d heard that his sister’s adult daughter had medical bills she was struggling to pay. “Why aren’t you helping her with those bills?” She answered that she and her husband had helped her and listed a number of examples. Then he proceeded to tell his sister what money-hungry people she and her husband were for having cleaning jobs at night in addition to their regular jobs. The sister explained the income from these jobs was a designated college fund for their children. Then the brother retorted, “You’re doing too much for your kids….”

Even for Christians, the habit of a judgmental spirit is a frequent problem that sours one’s spirit and ruins relationships. Therefore, the Scriptures deal with this extensively. In Romans 14:4, Paul tells believers at Rome: “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth….” The point was we have no right to judge another believer. The Lord Jesus alone is our judge. John 5:22 confirms: “For the Father…hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” Therefore, when we venture into this area of judging others, we are overstepping proper boundaries intended by the Lord. We have neither the qualification nor enough complete information to stand adequately in judgment of another believer. When believers at Corinth became critical of the Apostle Paul, he told them: “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know…He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart…” (I Corinthians 4:3-5). Paul writes in another letter: “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Romans 14:13). As the saying goes, “That’s so simple, even a fifth grader can understand it.”

Believer, have you allowed a judgmental attitude to sour your spirit? Are you often critical of others? This horrible habit so dishonors the Lord that He will one day judge these actions at the Bema Seat. Let today be a turning point when you intentionally turn from judging others.