I Judged Them—Then I Remembered Me

READ: 1 SAMUEL 16:1-13; MATTHEW 7:1-5; COLOSSIANS 3:12

I was recently talking with my son about a person I didn’t know very well, so my son pulled up the person’s Instagram. I instantly had a thought I’m not proud of. Their clothes were a little messy. They looked a little wild and like they didn’t care. I was looking at their hair color and their family, and I’m not proud of some of my thoughts. Then it hit me—I was judging a version of myself.

As a teen, I didn’t come from the best home. People made assumptions about me based on how I looked, how I dressed, who my family was, and what I didn’t have. I felt insecure, misunderstood, and like I didn’t belong.

So why—years later—was I doing the same thing to someone else? In that moment, God reminded me of me. Who was I to judge anyone? Matthew 7:1 reminds us: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” That reminder isn’t just a command. In this verse, Jesus is calling us back to compassion and grace.

The truth is, we never fully know someone’s story. That classmate who dresses differently might be expressing themselves the only way they can afford. That kid who smells like smoke might live in a house where no one opens a window. That “angry” person might be heartbroken.

“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). God sees the real us. And He calls us to see others with that same grace. This is possible because, once we know Jesus, His love begins to transform us from the inside out. When we remember that all our sins and vulnerabilities are covered by His mercy, we can be free to love others—and ourselves. As it says in Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Next time you’re tempted to judge, pause and ask yourself: “Am I seeing people through God’s eyes, or through my own ego? What if that was me?” Because maybe, just maybe, it was. • LaVerne Vest

• When are you tempted to make assumptions and judgements about other people?

• How can resting in Jesus’s love and understanding for us help us view others as He does?

“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)