Evaluating Need Not Be Sinful Judging
To belittle someone is to talk about them as if they are unimportant; to disparage a person is to reduce them in esteem from what they are due. Of course, this is wrong (Jas 4:11, Barclay). Think about it. Each person is created in God’s image. God the Father loved them so much He sent Jesus Christ to die for them. They are beings who will have an eternal existence after death. Since the Father so highly values them, how can we possibly justify belittling such individuals? To make fun of them, ridicule them, call them derogatory names – it is hateful to the Lord and shows that we lack sense (Prov 11:12, CJB; Prov 24:9, NCV).
Undoubtedly, we all are periodically guilty of calling a person who is rude to us a jerk or some other less-than-endearing term. Is there ever a valid place for this? Yes. How can we obey the command of Jesus to not throw our pearls before swine if we cannot evaluate someone as being a pig? How can we obey His command to not give what is holy to dogs if we are not assessing them in a negative way (Mt 7:6)? The same could be asked for the warning to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing (Mt 7:15) or recognizing that someone is a bad tree with bad fruit (Mt 7:16-20). Evaluation per se is not the problem.
What we must avoid, though, are judgments not based in love and His truth, comments that are intended to wound rather than redeem, and the habit of tearing each other down. Whether we do this to increase our own sense of righteousness or status, out of envy or hate, or because we just like hurting people, our hurtful behavior will boomerang to hurt us as well (Obadiah 15).
We are to be good stewards of the children God may give us.