Quick Charge Your Faith - Don't Judge

Few believers know the hidden costs of judging others.

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How overcoming judgment increases our peace and joy.

In our society today, most people rarely think about how often they judge others. Perhaps you don’t even notice it at first. A small observation about the way someone speaks or how they behave, sets in motion a judgment in your heart. This process grows with repetition and becomes a barrier to the fullness of peace and joy God desires for you.

During much of my adult life, I found myself falling into this trap repeatedly. Certain things about people instantly triggered me to judge them. If they drove a BMW, owned a Harley, phrased most of their sentences like questions, or drove a semi-truck for a living, my mind would jump to a bad conclusion. They were automatically judged to be one of “those” people.

These triggers didn’t just cause judgments; they became self-perpetuating axioms. If my initial experience with someone was negative, and I later discovered they fit one of my triggers, my response was, “Uh-huh, that figures.” My fallen nature thrived on the bias confirmation, reinforcing attitudes that kept me from experiencing the full peace and joy God intended for me.

The Bible speaks directly to this tendency. Jesus’s words in Matthew 7:1-2 are clear: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” These verses challenge us to examine our own hearts before pointing fingers at others. Judging others places us in a position reserved for God alone, and it keeps us from fully embracing the grace and freedom He offers.

Judgment also conflicts with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us that the Spirit’s work in us produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Judgment, however, works against these gifts, replacing love with criticism, joy with negativity, and peace with inner turmoil. When our hearts are occupied with judgmental thoughts, we miss out on the abundant life God wants for us, a life empowered by His Spirit.

The good news is that God provides a way to break free from this cycle. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we’re instructed to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This means recognizing judgmental thoughts as they arise, submitting them to Jesus, and letting Him replace them with kindness and truth. Instead of reacting in judgment we can stop and pray, “Lord, help me to see them as You do and extend grace.” It’s not easy, but with patience and reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can retrain our hearts and minds.

I can tell you from first-hand experience that as you let go of judgment, you’ll find yourself blessed by peace and joy in the relationships God brings to you. I firmly believed my judgment triggers were true for many years. Now my best friend is a truck driver who loves his Harley. God truly works in mysterious ways.

How might your relationships and your own sense of grace and power in your life change if you viewed others through the lens of His love? God invites us to let go of judgment and take hold of His gifts. As we do, we reflect His love more fully and we realize the abundance of peace and joy that He wants for all His children.

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