The Court of Public Opinion

By: carole l. Haines

What goes around comes around, right? That’s what I’ve always been told.  In some ways this is true, and never truer than in the area of judging others.  I have actually had people say to me, “Well, you don’t really seem like you have a whole lot of sin in your life.” Ridiculous, we all have a lot of sin in our lives.  Perhaps mine have not been as public as some, but they are there, in the heart and that is what Jesus is after in us, our hearts.  He speaks in His Word of judging others often.

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5 NASB)

God had to reveal to me, early on in my Walk with Him, that I have a tendency to be self-righteous and judgmental.  That’s my hideous sin, a sin of the heart, that perhaps not many others see, but I see it; and God sees it.  So, as you can imagine, in the school of “What goes around comes around,” I have suffered under judgment from others.  Being judgmental will draw judgment toward us, about us, into us.  Jesus tells us that it is what comes out of the heart that defiles the man.  (Matthew 15:12-20)

The journey God has had me on for the past 40 years has been a journey out of caring what others think of me, and a journey of seeing others as only God sees them.  This has been no easy task, but I believe it is one of the most important parts of our Spiritual journey.  How can we love one another, if we are suspicious, or judgmental toward one another?  Only God’s view of us will stand.  What anyone else thinks of us, or what we think of anyone else, will make no difference in eternity.

I have often told others, “I will be standing alone before God in Eternity, and I choose to stand alone before Him now. What others say or think of me doesn’t matter; only what God says of me.”

I have tried to live by this since God made it clear to me about 15 years ago.  I still catch myself being judgmental, and have to confess and repent of it. I still find I am being misunderstood and wrongly judged by others, which I have learned to dismiss without much effort. I have learned to live under the precious declarations that God makes of me and of you, in the Kingdom of God.

Have you been feeling judged? Do you fall into the trap sometimes, of judging others, like I have? Than let me reiterate what God revealed to me in His Word.  You will never stand before anyone but God Himself in eternity, so live out your life before Him, and Him alone, right now.  Make every effort to be transparent and real.  When you sin, and God shows it to you, confess it. If you have hurt another person, go ask their forgiveness.  The court of public opinion, what is that? We live our lives now, as believers, in the Court of the Kingdom of God, alone before Him.  Be at peace with others, by being at peace with God. 1 John 1:9 tells us that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Live out your life before Him alone. Cover nothing, do nothing you need to cover. Confess when you are wrong, be transparent. The peace that God promises is yours and you embrace who He says you are, and who He says others are.  Only He is judge, let Him be that, and He alone.  We are called to love one another.