Forgive Your Perceived Offenders
Luke 6
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Have you ever prayed and given thanks to God that you do not judge as someone else does? I doubt if any of us have ever said this out loud. However, in the silence of our contemplations we may have thought it.
The natural inclination of human beings is to judge. Early in life we have to master the art of contrast and comparing. It is both an art form and a survival tactic to develop this. It is what keeps us from danger. It keeps us from intruding on the rights of other. We learn early to know what is mine and theirs, yours and mine, them and us, right and wrong, true and false.
At the core this is the law at work in our natures. From that law at work we learn how to discern danger and avoid evil. However, this is not what judging is. Judging is when we opine that what we discern will always be so. Judging is assuming that we are one hundred percent accurate in our distinction making. Judging is dispatching and dismissing others because we discern a disdained life style, intent, morality or motivation. Judging is God’s dominion and we are not God.
Jesus said in effect that we insist on judging we will find ourselves coming under His judgment. He says if we condemn we will be condemned. If, on the other hand, if we live in a forgiving spirit we will find forgiveness flowing to us. We will find it easier to even receive forgiveness.