Dear God...How Do I Judge Less and Love More?
We must let our love be louder than our opinions! It's not an easy thing to do, but as Christians, this is what we're called to do (Matthew 7:1-2). That isn't to say we shouldn't judge at all because we still need to be discerning in areas of our life (John 7:24). There are two extremes when it comes to judging. Some of us become harsh and critical, while others are overly permissive. When we become too critical, we villainize and dehumanize them. When we're permissive and let things slide, we don't take a stand. We are supposed to be people who draw others to Christ. Sometimes we judge other people because we don't like how our own lives are, we don't want to acknowledge what's going on with ourselves (Romans 2:1-4). But don't look past the mirror when passing judgment (Matthew 7:3-5). When we judge others, we push them away. Instead we should have the same grace that God has shown us (Luke 7:36-47)
2) Who in my life do I tend to judge?
3) Do I tend to be overly critical or permissive? What are problems with that approach?