Judging God's Law

Sorry about the picture... isn't Jake cute though? 

                                                               James 5:11-12
                "Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not judge whether it applies to you. God alone has the power to save or to destroy.
                              So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?"


     This verse really spoke to me this week! These past couple years I've really struggled with being judgmental. I judge people before I've even met them, only from what people have told me about them! I don't give people a chance to grow on me, and as Mr. Darcy says, "My good opinion once lost is lost forever." (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen) As I said in the last post, I don't give grace.  This verse really convicted me of how wrong this is!

     This verse says that if I criticize and judge others, then I am criticizing God's law! This is a heavy thing to think about. When I judge someone, or criticize them in my mind, I'm criticizing God's law! After all, He's the one who made them how they are. Now think for a moment with me, would any of you agree that I know better than God? (I hope not!) Who am I to even think about pointing out something wrong with God's law. Yet, whenever I judge someone, even if it's just the split-second thought 'I'm better' I'm judging God. Uh-oh. Aren't you glad for God's unending mercy!

     In the middle of the verse it says that my job is to obey the law, not judge whether it applies to me. So, what does the law say? Well, Jesus said the most important commandment was this, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself."  So, if I'm focused on God, my thoughts will be less likely to drift into judgment, and my mind will be filled with his holiness! As I think about how he says 'Love your neighbor as yourself' , would I think the same about myself? I may judge myself, and that's also a sin,(I won't talk about today) but it's in a different way. I wouldn't want someone to judge me the way I'm judging them, I wouldn't want other people thinking they were superior! I cannot begin to imagine how broken-hearted God must be, with all of his children running around judging their  siblings in Christ, pointing out the little speck in others eyes, while they themselves cannot see because of the log in their own! how merciful, how patient, how wonderful is He! I praise God that even though I cannot possibly be even close to perfect, he made a way, through Jesus. He has poured out his lavish love, and grace into me, and I have the chance to share it! I pray that God can use me, that he will work through me to show mercy, that I will be a place of rest for others, because I don't look on their outside, like human nature is inclined to do, but look on the inside, like God does. I want to rely on His mercy.
 
                                                           With love,
                                                              Avery