Growing with Galatians Daily Devotions

And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. (Galatians 1:22, ESV)

Paul’s reputation was well known to the churches in Judea, but not his person. The churches knew the old Paul, the bad Paul. The new Paul, the good Paul, was a stranger to these churches. The churches in Judea welcomed the new Paul. They did not reject him based on who he once was; they received him because of who he had become. Paul was not the man he once was. 

This is a cautionary tale about not judging based solely on past reputation. People can change. People can be changed. What matters then is not who a person was, but who a person is. What matters even more is that God loves every person: the greatest and the least. This is the chief reason we are not to judge. There are others reasons.

We are commanded not to judge because we poor judges, focusing on surface rather than substance. Gold does not always glitter! Diamonds are sometimes found in the rough! As radio host Delilah is fond of saying, our "picker outer" is broken.

We are commanded not to judge because we do not like being judged. If we would “do unto others as we would have others do unto us” then we ought not judge. 

We are commanded not to judge because God will judge us with they very standard we judge others. The mercy we show others is the mercy God will show us.

I am sure there are more reasons, but these are compelling! Today, make every effort not to judge and to think the best of everyone.