As for me it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due. 1 Corinthians 4:3,5

 

Judging others is a universally favorite human pastime.

 

There’s a Southeast Asian story about a couple who moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the woman saw her neighbor hanging washing outside. “That laundry is not very clean; she doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better soap,” the wife said. Her husband looked on, remaining silent. This repeated itself for a month.

 

One day, the woman was surprised to see nice clean wash on the line and commented that the neighbor had finally learned how to do wash correctly, wondering who had taught her this?

 

The husband replied, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”[1]

Making judgments about others comes so easily to us. Conversely, we’re also pretty concerned about what others think of us. But the man who wrote much of the New Testament responded to being judged by others in a surprising way. The Apostle Paul said, “…It matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point…It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide” (1 Corinthians 4:3-4). He went on to warn us not to judge but not because God will punish us for it.

 

Paul continued, “…don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due” (1 Corinthians 4:3,5).

 

God longs to reward the person who leaves the judging to Him!

 

[1] Haridas, Arundas. “The Dirty Laundry-A Story About Judging Others.” Linkedin.com, 19 Mar. 2018, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dirty-laundry-story-judging-others-arundas-haridas?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via.