The second greatest commandment that God has given us is to love others as we love ourselves. Jesus said these words in Matthew 22:39, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." God has lavished us with His unconditional and sacrificial love so that we can love Him and others. 1 John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us." The more we understand how much God loves us, the more we want to love Him and others. 1 John 4:20 says, "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."
As we grow in our relationship with our God, we will naturally love God and others, which is why judging others is a sin. Judging others is having a negative opinion, thoughts, or perspective of another person. It often comes from pride—feeling better than others. As we interact with others, we need to protect ourselves from judging others. I sometimes catch myself judging others based on their appearance or actions, but by the grace of God, God keeps on reminding me to look at others in the way He would look at them. God reminds me that He loves everyone regardless of who they are. Everyone, including the criminals, needs God's forgiveness and salvation.
God loves us so that we can become the channel of His love to others. So often, God shows or demonstrates His love to others through us. Let us not judge others but become a channel of God's love. If we are prone to judge others, we need to ask God to change our hearts and help us continue to grow in His love.
Ask yourself these questions: How does God want me to treat others as He loves me unconditionally? What should I do when I am tempted to judge others?
Write down all the worries you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for loving me sacrificially and unconditionally. Please help me to see others in the way you see them. Please continue to change my heart and help me to continue to grow in your love so that I will not fall into the temptation of judging others. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.