JAMES 4

11 Don’t criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

God gave us two commands: Love God and love our neighbors as we love ourselves. So often, we love God and use that status as a means to judge other people. When we commit our lives to Christ, we are not given a gavel and robe from on high. We are not called to assess the behavior and appearance of others and pass sentence. We are called to love.

Have you ever been in a situation where you are talking with a group of friends and you begin “venting” about someone? Venting becomes complaining; complaining becomes slander. The more reaction you receive from others, for example laughter, affirmation, or their own stories, the more you talk. I’m familiar with it because, I must confess, I’ve done it too, It’s an easy trap to fall into.

But this is defaming, judging. This is where the church can be no different than the world…and no safer. There are social media influencers whose main focus is to tear down and defame well known ministries in the name of protecting the people of God. That is not what God has called us to.

This is not to say we should turn a blind eye to sin. But when Jesus walked this earth, he welcomed the sinner while using the words, “Go and sin no more.” He loved them. We are not the judge. As James said, there is one judge and it is not us. We are free to live our lives and love our neighbors. Treat them the way we would want to be treated. Love them as God calls us to. Hand over our robe and gavel and let God be God.