I rediscovered this verse recently and found it both overwhelmingly scary and totally freeing.
So do not judge before the right time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret purposes of people’s hearts. Then God will praise each one of them. (1 Corinthians 4:5 NCV)
It scares me when I think about the purpose of my heart – and whether I have purposes and darkness there that one day may be involuntary exposed. It scares me to action – to consider change, and to make sure the purpose of my heart is one that I want others to see.
And if the results of that change would not be freeing enough, the second thought in the verse is incredibly freeing. I don’t have to judge people. I don’t have to expose them, I don’t have to worry about what they are doing that may not be correct. I just need teach, love and treat others with respect. God will take care of the judging!
So today, Be free from judging others, and maybe take a moment to think about how you might be judged?