“Judging of Others”

by Dewey Fox

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10 ESV)

One thing we need to learn about loving others is that we must accept people without judging them. Rich Mullins wrote another song that addresses the situation of judgment, it’s titled “Brother’s Keeper,” and the words are as follows.

“Brother’s Keeper”

My friends ain’t the way I wish they were

They are just the way they are

There’s no point in pointing fingers

Unless you’re pointing to the truth

By Rich Mullins

We are called to follow Jesus by obeying and then doing what He said to do, and we do so because we believe that Jesus is also God.

The actual doing, however is never easy. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, and to forgive those who have harmed us. None of this comes naturally. We have been trained to strike back, hate, and hold grudges.

The words of Jesus are hard for us, but they are no less true because they are difficult. Not forgiving someone, for example, may be difficult, but not doing so will harm us. We think we are punishing someone by not forgiving them, but in reality, we are punishing ourselves by continuing to carry the pain. As Anne Lamott writes, “not forgiving someone is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” Living the Christian life is not merely difficult; it is impossible without God.

Just as it is impossible without God, “all things are possible with God.” - “Believe It”

Brother Dewey E. Fox

Rich Mullins: An arrow pointing to heaven, Page 81.