Devotionals by Raul Ries

FRIDAY July 31, 2026

Who Are You to Judge Another?

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
James 4:11-12

James continued to address the problems and situations that caused strife and conflict in the Church. He had spoken about envy, self-seeking, coveting, and having friendship with the world. Now he came to another issue that caused strife in the Church––speaking evil against a brother or sister in Christ. Judging others is a major problem in the Church. The word judge is the word for “criticizing.” When we judge and criticize others, we start wars among believers that destroy people’s faith.

Understand, when people act as judge and jury in the lives of others, they are placing themselves in the place of God. Be careful. That is not good. There are situations when we are apt to misjudge people. Perhaps when someone does not smile at us in church, we quickly judge them. We begin to wonder why they did not smile at us, thinking, I guess she doesn’t like me. How rude!” When in reality, they were not wearing their glasses and they just did not see you! People can make up such fantastic stories in their minds. We need to give them the benefit of the doubt and show people God’s grace.

Listen to what Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!