Let’s be honest — judging others can feel almost instinctive. We see someone’s choices, lifestyle, or appearance and in a split second, our minds begin to form conclusions. Sometimes it’s subtle, other times it’s overt. But either way, it happens. Why?
Because, in many ways, we’re hardwired for it.
From a biological standpoint, human beings are designed to assess quickly — it’s part of our survival mechanism. We size up environments, situations, and people to determine safety, belonging, or risk. But what began as a useful evolutionary tool can easily become a spiritual stumbling block.
The Bible is clear on this: we are not the ultimate judge — God is.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” – Matthew 7:1-2
Jesus didn’t say this to make us feel guilty. He said it because He knew our tendency to project our own brokenness onto others. We often hold people to standards we ourselves fall short of. We look through lenses tinted by our pasts, our pain, and our pride — and then wonder why our relationships feel strained or why compassion seems so hard to come by.
Here’s the truth: Jesus came not to condemn us, but to forgive us. He didn’t come to make our judgments more accurate — He came to make them irrelevant.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” – Romans 3:23-24
If we truly grasp the depth of grace that’s been shown to us — every sin, every failure, every regret washed clean — how can we not extend that same grace to others?
One of the most dangerous things we can do is put our own unresolved guilt or self-criticism onto others. We assume their motives. We interpret their behavior through the lens of our own insecurity or pain. But Jesus calls us to something far greater: to live with humility, empathy, and radical forgiveness.
So the next time you’re tempted to judge, pause. Ask yourself: Am I seeing this person through the eyes of Christ — or through the filter of my own past? Am I reacting from grace or from fear?
Because the goal isn’t just to stop judging others. It’s to start loving them — deeply, honestly, and without conditions. Just like He loved us first.
