No Judgement Here Devotional Thoughts

No Judgement Here
 
Following the previous teaching on the impact of pride and the power of humility, James zeros in on the most obvious expression of pride in society by tackling the matter of judgement.
 
James 4:11 – 12  NASB  11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
 
We live in a society of critics who specialize in judging others.  If you watch a political event, you will have critics telling you beforehand what to expect, you will have critics afterwards telling you what was said. The implications of what was said will be analyzed from every possible angle, and the news cycles the following day will be filled with the judgements of the supporters, and the opposition party.
 
The same is true of virtually everything in our world today and the impact of social media has unleashed some devastating judgements from people who hide behind a cloak of anonymity provided by the internet to viciously attack others. People are judged for virtually everything:
 
Look
Clothes
Hair
Use of makeup
Weight
Diet
Friends
Parenting
Discipline
Lack of discipline
Political affiliation
Religious affiliation
Grammar
Environmental sensitivity
Size of their carbon footprint
The list goes on and on.
 
Sadly the viciousness of the judgement some have received has resulted in people taking their lives because they couldn’t deal with the shame, rejection and pain caused by the judgement.
 
James reminds the recipients of this letter they are not to judge another. For to judge is to violate the Law of God. Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves what the Law of God requires of us.
 
Matthew 22:34 – 40  NASB  34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
In summary, Love God, Love people.
According to James when we enter into judgement against another person, we cease to keep the law, rather we elevate ourselves to be their judges as well as judges of the law.
Wow! You talk about a display of pridefulness, it is expressed in our judgement of others. May I remind the listener, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
The Apostle Paul addressed this issue in Romans 2:1-11; 14:1-13
 Romans 14:10 NASB But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,  
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
What do we do with those who are opposed to us? Jesus said Love your enemies.
The Apostle Paul wrote the church at Rome these words of instruction:
 Romans 12: 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  NASB