Luke 6:37
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

We don’t get what we don’t give, and it all goes back to treating others how we want to be treated.  We can sometimes be so harsh and unforgiving with other people.  We forget that they have the same amount of humanness that we do, the same sin nature we do.  We overlook the fact that they may have endured extreme circumstances, that they might have been hurt in significant ways.  We excuse our own bad behavior and expect perfection from others.  We plead for mercy and second chances for ourselves and then cast people away for the smallest offense.

So let’s seek to have more compassion and understanding for others.  We shouldn’t judge others.  That is not our place, and it doesn’t do us any good to be overly harsh with others when we are so full of faults ourselves.  We must be careful not to condemn others.  No one is perfect.  People are just struggling along the same as we are, trying to do what is right.  If they are believers, as God’s children, they will have His Spirit and guidance.  So let’s be kind and not critical.  And if they are unsaved, it is no wonder they are struggling so much.  Let’s show them Jesus, not condemnation, because He loves them, too.

And we must not harbor an unforgiving spirit.  We shouldn’t hold grudges or feel like the person who has wronged us must get what they deserve.  Let’s show them the kind of grace our Father shows us—totally undeserved but freely given.  Hanging on to unforgiveness only builds up barriers and can hurt not only our relationships with other people, but our relationship with God, as well.

So let’s chip away at these hard attitudes whenever we notice them developing in our lives.  When we free ourselves from judgment and condemnation, we can be forgiven.  When we forgive others, it shows them the love and the grace of God in a real, tangible way that breaks through the harsh, cold attitudes that usually prevail in our darkened world.  Let’s truly treat others how we want to be treated, the way God treats us, and leave judgment, condemnation and unforgiveness behind.