Do not judge

One of the most popular verses in all of scripture is Matthew 7:1.

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

It's popularity also means it's one of the most misinterpreted.

Very often people take that verse to be authorization from Jesus to shut down any attempt at pointing out areas people need to do better and an endorsement of any and every lifestyle.

So what did Jesus mean when He said this?
The following verses provide the needed context to understand Christ's statement.

"For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?"

From these verses we see that what Christ was speaking against wasn't "judging" but doing so hypocritically.

We know this for sure because in verses 15-18 of that same chapter, Christ tells us to discern false prophets by their fruits which requires some form of judgment.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Matthew 7:18 NIV

So in pointing out the faults in other people, make sure you're not guilty of the same thing, and that when we do so we do it with love and grace to build people up and not to tear them down.

So our hack for the week: do not be a hypocrite.

#LifehacksfromJesus