Judge

 “Judge not, that you be not judged.

Matthew 7:1 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.7.1.ESV

This is a popular verse. After all, who likes being judged? Jesus here, out of context, seems to be telling us not to judge.

In His very next breath however, Jesus tells us that we'll be judged according to how we judge. He then tells a story of someone with a plank in their eye trying to remove a speck of sawdust from someone else. Basically, He's telling us not be be hypocritical.

By all means we can seek to correct, help and advise one another. We just need to make sure we have integrity, otherwise we won't be taken seriously. We all judge each other all the time, we just need to make sure we're justified before God and fair in how we treat one another.

Parents, educators and elders have to judge how to resolve conflicts. They have to judge one way or the other. To not actively judge is to spoil someone.

'Father in heaven, may we judge with right judgment. Help us to have integrity, so that we might genuinely help people become better people. In Christ's name, amen'

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