Don’t judge others- Lenten Reflections 2025 Day 4

It’s easy to judge others based on first impressions, but the Bible reminds us not to rush to conclusions.

Back in my hostel days, I shared a room with a girl who was loud, tough and had a really strong personality. At first, I couldn’t stand her. Her phone conversations were always so loud and she had this no-nonsense attitude that seemed a little harsh.

I thought, “She’s going to be a handful” and secretly wished she would move out one day. I had already decided she was just a tough, no-nonsense person who might end up being a headache.

But after a few months, something changed. I started to get to know her better and what I discovered surprised me. Beneath all the tough talk and loud personality was someone who was incredibly kind, loyal and protective.

She would always have my back and stood up for me and my other roommate against our seniors and authority, even when I didn’t expect it. She wasn’t just tough- she was one of the most caring and selfless friends I could have asked for.

This experience taught me a valuable lesson- how often do we judge people based on their first impressions? It’s easy to form an opinion about someone when we see them acting a certain way, but we’re not always seeing the full picture.

I judged her based on how she came across at first, but when I took the time to understand her, I realized I had been completely wrong. There was so much more to her than what I had assumed.

Leave the judgement to God

In the Bible, Jesus speaks directly to this tendency we have to judge others. In Matthew 7:1-5, He says:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

This passage reminds us that judgment belongs to God alone. It’s so easy for us to notice and point out the small flaws in others, but we forget that we all have our own issues to work through.

Just like how I wrongly judged my roommate based on her loudness and attitude, I was ignoring my own assumptions and biases. Instead of focusing on what we think others might be, we need to focus on showing love, kindness and understanding.

Build better relationships with understanding

We don’t have all the facts. We don’t know what struggles people are facing or what’s going on beneath the surface.

Jesus reminds us not to judge others hastily or harshly. When we judge, we risk missing the deeper, more meaningful parts of someone’s character, just like I missed the kindness and loyalty my roommate had to offer.

Next time you find yourself making assumptions about someone, remember that only God knows what’s in their heart. Rather than jumping to conclusions, let’s practice being slow to judge and quick to love, showing grace to everyone around us.

Because when we take the time to understand people for who they really are, we build deeper, more meaningful relationships.

Found this post useful? You might like reading these too:

Lenten Reflection Day 1- How to deal with life’s struggles

Lenten Reflection Day 2- How to choose God’s way

Lenten Reflection Day 3-How to begin putting God first

lHow to love your self and love your neighbour

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