The Bible Says, “Do Not Judge” But Am I Judging?

James 4:12 says, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge… But you who are you to judge your neighbor?”

We can understand judgment more easily by thinking about a courtroom. In a courtroom, there is a judge. The judge looks at the law, decides whether a person is guilty, and gives the sentence. But imagine someone sitting in the audience saying, “That person is bad. He deserves to be punished. He should get ten years in prison.” That person has no authority to make that judgment. He is not the judge.

It is the same in our life of faith. God is the Judge, and His Word is the standard. Yet we often look at someone and quickly come to conclusions: “That person has no faith.” “What is wrong with him?” “How can she act like that when she has a position in the church?” “That person deserves to be punished.” But if we think carefully, many times these are not God’s judgments. They are our own thoughts. We may be measuring someone by our own personality, experiences, expectations, and standards.

Of course, this does not mean that we should pretend something wrong is right. If something is wrong according to God’s Word, then it is wrong. Sometimes we may need to correct someone or give loving advice. But there is a difference between recognizing that an action is wrong and condemning the person. It is not our place to decide what is in someone’s heart, judge the level of their faith, or give them a sentence in our minds.

So what should we do when we see someone doing something wrong? We can change the standard through which we look at that person. Instead of looking through the eyes of condemnation, we can look through the eyes of love, goodness, and mercy. We can ask, “Why did this person act this way?” “Is something difficult happening in their life?” “Have they been hurt?” “Is there something I can do to help?”

For example, suppose someone is often late for worship. It is easy to think, “That person has no faith. Worship must not be important to them. How can someone with a church responsibility behave like that?” But we could also think, “Is something happening at home or at work? Are they going through a difficult situation? Is there anything I can do to help?”

Or suppose someone speaks to us in a rude or harsh way. We could quickly think, “How can this person speak to me like that? I don’t want anything to do with them anymore.” But we could also ask, “Are they going through something difficult? Is there pain in their heart? What if I speak gently to them first?”

Not judging someone does not mean pretending that wrong behavior is right. It means refusing to sit in the Judge’s seat. Instead of condemning the person, we think about how we can understand them, help them, and help them become better.

James 2:13 gives us a serious warning: “Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.”

This makes judgment something we should not take lightly. One day I, too, will stand before God. And I, too, am someone who needs God’s mercy.

So when we see another person’s faults, let us not be too quick to reach a conclusion. Let us leave judgment to God and choose to look at people with love and mercy.

“Love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8