The Word for Today

by Bob and Debby Gass

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‘Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?…’ Romans 14:4 NIV

It is always a lot easier to stand on the sidelines and take pot-shots than to get involved and try to help. The Bible repeatedly warns us not to criticise, compare, or condemn one another. When you judge what someone else is doing in sincere faith, you are on dangerous ground with God. ‘What right do you have to [judge] someone else’s servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right…’ (Romans 14:4 CEV) Since you are not their ‘lord’, you need to exercise wisdom and restraint. Refuse to stand in judgment on those whose opinions differ from yours. Here Paul weighs in: ‘Why, then…criticise your brother’s actions, why…try to make him look small? We shall all be judged one day, not by each other’s standards or even by our own, but by the judgment of God.’ (Romans 14:10-11 PHPS)

Whenever you take it upon yourself to analyse, scrutinise and categorise one of God’s children, four things happen: (1) You upset their Father. (2) You display your ego and insecurity. (3) You set the standard by which you yourself will be judged. (4) You alienate people. When you get a reputation for being critical, people will avoid you like a plague. They know that if you criticise others you will criticise them too. The Bible says: ‘…let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another.’ (Romans 14:19 NCV) Someone said, ‘The largest room in the world is room for improvement.’ If you doubt that, look at the disciples Christ picked and promoted-then look in the mirror.

SoulFood: Num 11-13, Matt 15:1-14, Ps 149, Pr 4:25-27

The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2012

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