When scandals hit some big evangelistic ministries in the USA, I remember asking an elderly minister friend of mine John Hutshingson what he thought about it all. I will never forget his reply, he said “Sam, I have never had more than five to ten thousand dollars in my account, some of these fellows manage and have access to millions, I am not sure whether I behave well because I do not have money to do crazy things or because I am really a principled person!”
It is easy to criticize people who find themselves in certain situations and in the process lie to ourselves that we are better morally, but sometimes it is simply because we have never been given the opportunity to do what they did.
There are people who have never committed sexual sin not because they did not want to, but no one of the opposite sex availed themselves so the act could be completed, some have never killed because they did not have a weapon and opportunity but murder was in their hearts.
We know of killer tribes in Africa who would wipe everyone out once given the opportunity because they have a culture of shedding blood even if you trace their history. They have not done so because they have been denied the opportunity
There are people sitting in church who are not drinking because they cannot afford it, they do not have a small house or second wife because it is beyond their means.
So in looking and dealing with others and the things that happen around in our church, family or political leadership etc we must be careful, while we are busy judging others we may fail to acknowledge that we are actually some Idi Amin who was just denied authority and a butcher’s knife.
I have been in one form of leadership position or other all my life, the wolves howl when you do not do something they think you should have done and they howl when you do something they feel you shouldn’t have done.
Leadership is about making decisions both popular and unpopular decisions. Some get immediate accolades, some are appreciated after you are dead, some are never appreciated at all.
The bible says it is ONLY to GOD that a man stands or falls.
Romans 14:4-5 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
So while we are busy Judging and giving sins and iniquities sizes like shoes,
ie “ I committed a size 2 sin but that one is a six 45 or oversize!”
Remember with God sin is missing the mark regardless of by how many centimeters.
If God is saying nothing about a situation who are you to say anything about it, if God has forgiven who are you to question. If God is smiling at a situation who are you to frown. And also when you carry on about a situation have you had a conversation with God were you were told that he is still holding that thing against that person no matter how BIG it is.
In as much as we should encourage accountability and responsibility in others and practice it ourselves, we should be careful that we do not end up playing God because that is an impossible position to fill.
The worst part of a judgmental attitude is that it puts weights of guilt on those who have been set free, hindering any movement forward.