God is Your Judge

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “He’s his own worst critic.”  There are those of us who tend to judge ourselves too harshly.  We’re hard on ourselves!  We know it.  But it’s so hard to change it.  Some people don’t feel good unless they feel bad, know what I mean?  On the flip side, there are those who, perhaps, don’t judge themselves enough.  It’s not that I think they should inflict harsh condemnation upon themselves; it’s just they ought to give a little more thought to how they treat others or the words they speak.  At the end, ultimately, God is our judge.  He is the one we have to stand before some day and give account.  

There have been times in my life where I have beaten up on myself for nothing.  I’m thankful for good friends, and my pastor, who help lift that weight off of my shoulders. 

The Apostle Paul writes, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (I Cor. 4:2)  As Christians, we want to do right.  We want to be faithful.  We want to honor and please God.  Yet, we’re also all too aware of our sin, our failures, and our struggles.  But we want to prove faithful.  We want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 

Paul goes on to writes, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (vs. 3-4)

I am aware that my conscience can be clear, yet, I may have done something wrong.  Perhaps I really hurt someone, but I don’t even know it.  Even when I think I’m walking right, I know I may not be completely innocent.  On the other hand, it’s an incredible burden to bear if you walk around in life constantly thinking you’ve done something wrong. 

There are things in my life I have to leave in God’s hands.  God is my judge.  There is freedom in this, when I free myself from the opinions of others, and live my life to please the Master.  His opinion is the opinion which matters the most.  And, often, when He speaks to me, I hear that He thinks much better of me than I often think of myself.      

Paul says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” (vs. 5)

God sees past our mistakes and sees our hearts.  Certainly, He cares about our behavior, our attitudes, our thoughts, and our character, and is in the process of working on these things.  At the same time, He sees our potential.  We may see the person of the flesh, but God sees the person of the Spirit (Remember Gideon?).  He sees beyond the season of life we are in right now, even if this season is hard.  He sees not just what we are, but what we can be in Him.  So, don’t be too hard on yourself!  Keep pressing on.