A Rush To Judgment

We all do it! We judge others.It's a major part of the human experience and, I believe, the number one cause of the evil so rampant in our world today. Judgment negatively affects every area of our lives and has resulted in the ruin of multiple millions from the dawn of time.

We humans have made judgment a way of life and it is often so cruel and unfair. No one is off limits when it comes to the judgmental opinions or harsh words of others. I'm sure we all have been the recipients of petty gossip by unthinking individuals who didn't consider the potential results of their careless words. No one is immune from  this insidious practice, yet we all have to admit that we too have been guilty of the same. However, that behavior is mild compared to what we see going on today. Many have graduated to a whole new level of judgment. Due to social media, many are taking their verbal attacks to the internet, spewing out all manner of evil upon those they deem worthy of their displeasure. By their actions, many have taught their children that it's okay to belittle others, to attack those who don't measure up in their opinion. Now we see that school bullying is getting out of hand, often resulting in the suicide of the one being bullied. People, in general, are becoming less tolerant and are quick to get angry and lash out at anyone and everyone they encounter on a daily basis. Love and compassion for our fellow man has fallen in the streets. The frustrations of everyday life have caused many to take it out on any who cross their path. Families are disintegrating, divorce is rampant, children have no respect for authority, our colleges have become institutions of social unrest, the workplace has often become a war zone, road rage is common on our highways, riots have become daily fare in our inner cities.The list goes on and on. The problem is that many want to be GOD! Most don't realize it, but it is true. Their thoughts and opinions are the only truth there is and those who disagree are not to be tolerated.

When it comes to judgment, nothing is off limits. We judge others by appearance, race, gender, religion, culture, social standing, occupation, lifestyle, education, income, behavior, vices, on and on. This is true of every individual, every group, company, organization, institution, denomination, social club, political party, government, country, you name it.

It's the cause of every war, whether it be neighbor against neighbor or nation against nation. We make blanket judgments of entire groups of people. Millions around the world are suffering unimaginable horrors because of evil governments ruled by despots who delude themselves into believing they are GOD! They have decided who should live and who should die. Massive migrations of entire populations are seen on the evening news each night, people running for their lives because of war and persecution by those who have judged them of lesser value.

One day soon, our creator, Yeshua, is going to judge the world and I fear it is not going to be the judgment we hoped for. When he came to earth two thousand years ago, he taught his disciples to judge not lest they be judged. He is the only righteous judge and his judgment is not based on the criteria we use to judge others. He is not interested in outward appearances, but the inner heart. When he returns as King of kings and Lord of lords, he will come to render judgment upon each and every one of us according to our heart. The standard for that judgment will depend upon us. The measure we use to judge others will be the exact measure he will use to judge us. That is a very sobering thought. Our eternal destiny depends upon us. May we all consider our ways and our contribution to the pain and suffering of our fellow man. God is love and those who are his will live to spread that love throughout this dying world.