Wait to judge?
Hey, thanks again for sending in questions related to our recent sermons.
This last week, of course, we talked about judgment.
Jesus’ famous words, judge not, lest ye be judged, for in the same measure you judge
it will come back onto you.
Why don’t you get the log out of your own eye before you worry about the speck in your
brother’s eye.
And so we said, when we judge, we need to judge with the right heart, which is understanding
really that our issues are bigger than the person that we are judging.
We need to judge with a heart of compassion and help.
And then there are times when we’ve tried our best to help somebody that we actually
need to walk away.
So the question this week comes in and asks, what if I really need to confront somebody
or what if somebody really needs to be confronted but I don’t have the right heart?
I more so want to squash them than help them.
I more so want to level them than lift them.
But at the same time, they really need to be confronted.
So what am I supposed to do?
Should I just let the person continue to do what that person is doing until I get my heart
right, which might cause more damage out there?
Or do I go ahead and confront the person even though my heart is not completely right?
What should I do?
I would say, go ahead and try to help the person.
You can step in and be judging the person as long as we understand that’s help.
But while you’re doing it or maybe even before you do it, to confess to that person what
is in your heart.
Say listen, I know I have bigger issues than you do, even though I’m really upset about
your issues.
I really feel all this anger towards you and I’m sorry about that.
I should be looking up to you instead of looking down on you.
But I’m sorry, I am looking down on you right now and I don’t want to be there.
But I still need to talk with you about this thing that’s going on.
My guess is you have never had somebody confront you like that.
My other guess is the person you are confronting has never had anybody confront them like that.
By confronting them in this way, it might shock them so much that they might actually
listen to you.
So we’re not, in any rule that Jesus gives us, any instruction imperative that Jesus
ever gives us, we’re never going to be perfect.
But we can always be repentant.
And so if we’re not there, if our heart isn’t right, I think the step forward is just to
be honest about where our heart is.
Be honest about where our heart is with the person that we are judging slash helping.
And then go forward.
Admit our own failings to the person.
Admit our own failings in our heart that we, you know, Jesus says I should be looking up
to you instead of looking down on you.
But I’m not and I’m sorry.
And we still need to talk about what’s going on with you.
I’d say try that.
I pray it’s helpful.
And you can always send in another question following up on this one if necessary.
Well, hey, thanks a lot for sending that in.
And we will see you next time.