Being Offended vs. Casting Judgement

This article is about a subject that is very real for me and I’m guessing to some extent will be very real for many who read it.  Too often, we as Christians are extremely quick to cast judgment on people based on what WE believe to be truth and holiness.  We forget that many people out there do not believe what we believe.  Many people out there have not accepted that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of the world and so what they see as good and acceptable is not the same as what we (Christians) see as good and acceptable. 

Though we often forget or don’t realize that we are doing this, I do believe this is where the problem starts concerning the topic of “being offended verses casting judgment.”  When we go from being offended (which is not a bad thing on its own) to casting judgment on the offender (which is not our job) we have now placed ourselves on the throne of God, because only he has the right to judge all humanity. 

A few recent events have really spurred me to write this; specifically and most recently the Grammy’s.  As I set there watching the popular award’s show I could not help but get upset, angry, even disgusted at many of the things I saw.  I felt like my personal belief system was being publicly trashed and insulted by people who didn’t even know me.  So, the next thing that happened was I started mentally cutting the people on the T.V. down.  I mentally started judging them, calling them sinners, heathens; the list could go on.  As I set there silently getting more and more angry, and honestly more and more ugly towards them with my thoughts and inner monologue; it occurred to me that I should not be thinking this way.  It occurred to me that it wasn’t my place to cast judgment on these people; partly because I don’t know them and can’t confront them about their actions, but the main reason is because the majority of them do not hold to the same beliefs that I do. 

The Apostle Paul talks in Romans and other places about loving instead of judging; specifically, when those you feel like judging have not chosen to follow Jesus.  The only one who has the right to judge is the one who has been sinned against, namely GOD.  As a follower, I can be offended and I think I have the right to be offended at the actions of the world and those who do not follow my King, BUT I DO NOT have the right to cast judgment on those who don’t claim my King as their own.

Now on the other hand, if I see or hear about a fellow Christian doing things or saying things that are sinful, that are outside the lifestyle of a follower of Jesus, then Biblically it is my duty to confront, rebuke, disciple, and redeem my brother or possibly find someone who can do so more appropriately than I…and do it all “IN LOVE.”  Now even then, even with our brothers and sisters in Christ, I think we should refrain from passing judgment upon them, because we do not hold that power, but confronting and redeeming is commanded of us by Jesus. 

In conclusion I’ll say this: We cannot expect those who do not follow Jesus to act the way we think they should and we cannot hold them accountable to a standard they have not accepted as truth, BUT we can be offended and with love pray for them and try to be Christ to them.  We can seek to be agents of reconciliation as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 5.  We are ambassadors of Love for the name and glory of Jesus Christ and so we should try to think, speak, and act with love as the driver.   Fellow Christians, do not Judge; rather, let the offense you feel be healed by love through the Holy Spirit. Forgive the offense, because it was your offenses that were forgiven first by Jesus on the Cross.  Then be compelled by that same love to be Christ to the one who offended you.