11 Brothers do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor.
James 4: 11-12
I think we are so quick to judge other people. We don’t have a clue what they have been through, but we quickly label them as lazy, slow, a liar, or any number of unflattering titles. But we keep forgetting that God loves us all and he wants us to get along.
When James talks about slander, speak against, and judge, he’s referring to condemning someone publicly. We just write them off in a public way so that everyone knows what they’ve done. But we are told not to speak against our brother, if we do so, we are judging the law. Like we know better than God. Treading in dangerous territory here. Remember the Loyal Law that we talked about earlier in this study. Yes, the one that says lover your neighbor as yourself.
To disregard the law that Jesus himself impressed upon us by condemning our brother or sister is reckless. Did Jesus write us off because we did something wrong? Certainly not! I’m glad that he loves me enough to overlook my weaknesses. I pray that I might see others with his kindness and not be so quick to condemn.
I don’t think it’s my job to condemn someone because of their choices. That responsibility rests with God. And He takes our words about each other very seriously. So, I must love all of my neighbor’s without judging. This is what the law is.
Tomorrow we’ll finish up Chapter 4 as we find out what James has to say of boasting about tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, and my prayer is that God uses this blog to open your eyes to his Word and convict in you the desire to really know Him.
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 