Don't Judge Me

"Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment" -Matt. 7:21 JST

Have you ever told someone "don't judge me"? As imperfect beings, of course it doesn't feel good to be judged. It's hard to receive correction because you have to come face to face with your weakness. But the Lord has taught that those who he loves, he corrects (Rev. 3:19). How though does he correct us? Does he send an angel to whip us into shape? Usually it's more subtle. What if we can receive correction through people we know and trust. Whether they deliver the corrections with tact or not, they could be a means through which the Lord can teach us. What does the scriptures say about judging?

Woman Taken in Adultery

Let's start with an example. When the women who was taken in adultery was brought before Christ, the people around her wanted to throw stones at her. They had identified an error in her ways and wanted to punish her for it. When she confronts Jesus she is offered mercy. Christ did not condemn her, but he did, in fact, agree with the crowd recognizing the error in her ways. He frankly forgave her, but did ask that she go and sin no more (John 8:11).

This example teaches us the difference between judging and condemning. Both the crowd and Jesus had judged her actions to be less than perfect. They recognized a sin and called it as such. The difference is Christ chose not to condemn or punish her. He also convinced the crowd not to condemn her. He judged their actions to be missing the mark too. "Don't stone her, consider your own sins," he suggested to them. Go and sin no more was essentially their lesson too (John 8:7).

Judgment is Recognizing God's Existence

This story teaches the importance of placing a judgment call. In simple terms, judging is recognizing good from bad. The ability to know good from evil is given to all through the light of Christ. The scriptures say, judge righteously (Moroni 7:18). That is recognize good and bad and choose good.

Today the word "judge" has taken on the connotation of condemning or punishing. Many assume it is inherently a bad thing, but we should realize they are two separate things. If we can't judge, then we can't recognize good from evil. Lack of judgement would lead to the assumption that there is no sin, which in turn, denies God's existence (Alma 42:22). That leads people to falsely assume that they can decide for themselves what is good and evil. That is not the case. God lives, and Christ is our measuring stick because he is our perfect example. We are judged by his standard, which he set for us when he came to earth. Therefore, by reserving the right to judge actions, whether our own or by others, we reserved the right to hear the spirit, and to recognize good and bad.

Judge Righteously

It is the spirit of God within us that allows us to judge others' actions. The caution is in letting this turn to condemning others. We can recognize that people make mistakes without making them feel worthless or hopeless. Rather than cast stones we should build them up and point them to Christ. Then together we can learn from the mistake. When we see weakness in others, we can use judgement to learn to be more wise in the future (Mormon 9:31). If we condemn rather than persuade to do good, we likely will remain blind to our own imperfections.

If we find our selves being judged by others, let us take pause. If it is a stranger, we might put it out of our mind and move on. If we understand it to be a righteous judgement, we can learn even from a stranger's rebuke. If correction comes from someone we know and love, we would do well to receive it with humility. It is often those close to us that are uniquely positioned to help us see our weaknesses, so that we can overcome and improve our relationships.

If we find ourselves judging others, let us first bring the lesson to ourselves. Let us say, I see the error in their ways, may God help me to avoid the same pitfalls. Very often we are guilty of the same offenses we see in others, to one degree or another. Then after learning the lesson ourselves, and only if moved upon by the spirit, we can teach with humility a better way to live—if ye receive not the spirit ye shall not teach (D&C 42:14). Like for the woman taken in adultery, Christ's invitation to focus on the future rather than dwell on the past is instructive and uplifting. It takes patience, love, meekness, and gentle persuasion. Some days we will mess up, and judge someone vocally a little too harshly. Then we should seek forgiveness and show an "increase of love" (D&C 121:43).

Always stay humble and be willing to receive correction from whoever may offer it because those who judge us may have judged righteously. It's not easy to hear, but it is important that we recognize, or judge, when our actions aren't in line with Christ's teachings. In life, we experience both good and evil, and through the wisdom of God we are given the ability to judge, so may we choose righteousness. Come unto Christ, learn, improve, and be perfected through his redeeming power.

Additional Reading

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/judging-others?lang=eng