For most people, condemnation is a way of life. It’s so subtle, they don’t even notice it. The prevailing mindset in the world is overwhelmingly negative, and demands perfect performance to avoid judgment from others. As Christians, when we see someone struggling to perform perfectly but missing the mark, we need to encourage them, not condemn them.
No one is perfect; we all make mistakes. The woman caught in adultery made a big one. When she was brought to Jesus, He had every right to condemn her, but He didn’t. He instead forgave her, told her in love to stop sinning, and gave her the gift of no condemnation.
Showing grace and mercy to people who fall short is what God wants all of us to do. It’s part of godly humility, something the world lacks. It’s easy to see the faults in others, but harder to see them in ourselves. Before worrying about the speck in our friend’s eye, we must first get rid of the log in our own eye.
Just like Jesus, we’re to show nonjudgmental kindness and compassion to the world. Jesus traveled far and wide to preach the gospel, and was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes. When He came to the edge of the city and saw a dead man being carried out, He had compassion on the man’s mother and raised him from the dead. Having this character trait gives us new insight and lets us see what God wants to show us.
God knows what we’re feeling when we struggle with condemnation; He gave us His Son, who is full of grace and truth, to help us win over it. Accepting Him frees us from harshly judging ourselves and others, because there’s no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Believing in Him elevates us to the judgment-free zone.
Prayer:
God, You’ve instructed us to show compassion and love, not condemnation, to people struggling to meet unrealistic standards. The world condemns and judges, but this isn’t Your nature. Thank You for teaching us this important lesson. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
John 8:3-11
Matthew 7:5
Matthew 9:36
Matthew 14:14
Mark 6:34
Luke 7:12-15
John 1:14
Romans 8:1, NIV