Is it Love or Judgement?

Romans 2 (The Message)
God Is Kind, but Not Soft
1-2 Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done.
3-4You didn't think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he's such a nice God, he'd let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he's not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

I took this from The Message Bible today because it really spoke to me. Something I have been working very hard on in my life is JUDGEMENT. As human beings we see a very small window of a person's life. We can't know what they are thinking, we can't know what they are feeling, and we have no idea what their relationship is with God. If you are looking at someone through your human eyes you will find many faults, but if you ask to see them with Jesus's eyes you will see something totally different.

You see a woman walking the streets at night, dressed in skin tight leather, lots of make-up, stiletto heels, you think HOOKER...God sees a woman, abused sexually and physically as a child, ran away from home to escape the abuse, her heart is hurting, she had to resort to a life of sex for money because she had no other way to survive. 

You see a drunk man sitting in the corner of an alleyway, right next to the dumpster, he smells of booze and sweat, he is dirty and his clothing is torn. You hurry by because you are scared and repulsed. God sees a man who worked hard all his life, lost his job due to the economy. Once he lost his job he started drinking to numb the pain, because of the drinking his wife and his kids left. He lost the house. The dumpster is not only his bed, but also his place to eat. God sits down beside him and holds his hand.

But how do we handle a situation that is more simple? We see our friend mistreating her children...we know of a coworker who has been flirting with a woman at work and they are both married? Do we judge them? 

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love. "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."

In other words, check your motives at the door...are you speaking the truth to them because their actions annoy you, or out of genuine concern? Have you prayed about it before you brought it up? Have you found Bible verses to back you up?

As Christians, I believe that sometimes we feel we are better than others. If we looked at our hearts the way God does, we would see that there is sin in every single one of us. Try to be loving instead of judgmental and when you must speak the truth make sure your motivations are out of love!