Thursday's Discipleship Response
John 7:24
Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.
Pondering Point
This phrase from John 7:24, "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly", is great to remember when encountering people who toss out the Bible's words, "thou shalt not judge". (Matthew 7:1).
But consider yourself warned: it is easy to slip into ungodly attitudes of judgment toward others.
Let’s review our judgmental tendencies:
James 4:7-8
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:11-12
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
Review
Have your appearance-based judgments led you to wrong conclusions? Do you withhold judgment despite appearances? Do you judge yourself according to God’s Word before you judge others?
Repent if necessary...
of pre-judging by appearances; repent of judging others before you judge yourself according to the Word of God.
Return as necessary
Review James 4:11-12 in your Bible. Then back up to James 4:7-8 and follow his Holy Spirit inspired advice to:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Prayer
Lord, I submit myself to You. Help me to judge rightly instead of by mere appearances. Let me resist the ungodly urge to judge otherwise. I want to judge rightly, operating under Your Spirit in accordance with Your Word. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.