2 Corinthians 5 - Giving Up Human Judgement

"So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view." v. 16a

This statement reached out to me today. There are definitely themes in this chapter that I have written about in the last couple of days, but this one, single phrase spoke louder to me. It made me ask myself, have I? In so many ways I think the circumstances in my life have guided and molded me not to judge others in the way that the world judges them, but I can also see times when I do. I meet someone and I see some trait that annoys me instead of seeing them as God's special creation. I hear something about their past and start seeing them through that lens. It is sad, because I, of all people, don't want others to look at me in those ways. I want others to see the heart of who I am. I think the problems lies in when we find things in ourselves that we don't love. That seems to prompt me and open me up to seeing things in others to judge. It is like, if there is something in me I don't like, if I find something unlikable in someone else, that makes me not so bad. It is really pathetic....the way many middle schoolers are. Tear someone down and you lift yourself up. The truth is, if you tear someone down, you don't lift yourself up, you just end up with two people down. The quality of judging others doesn't lift you in anyway, it makes you less of a righteous person.

So how do you stop judging others from a human perspective? For me, the way to start is to always try to see God in another. Search out those traits that God has placed in that person that God can use to affirm you and remind you of God. It may not always be easy. The second thing for me is to really focus on who the person is today and who they want to be. This isn't easy to do without getting to know the person a little better, but in getting to know them, you will see more of God. The key is to search out the best in each person and cling to it. The more you see and respond to the pieces of God in someone and as the person they are becoming, the more those traits will come out. This is one of the ways we can affirm God in others and help them to become the person God is molding them into.

Is there someone in your life that you are having trouble seeing through God's eyes? Pray for them, pray for you to see God in them, and take some time to get to know who they want to become. You may find a great treasure!