1 Cor 4:1-5 / Lk 5:33-39
A few folks in our culture might do well to ponder a little more what others might think about them, but most of us probably spend too much time worrying about that, asking questions like, “What will the neighbors think?” and telling our kids, “Wear clean underwear, just in case you get in an accident and have to go to the hospital.”
Human respect and the desire to preserve our reputations undoubtedly keep a lot of us in line and out of trouble, but it’s an awfully fragile foundation on which to build a life. St. Paul urges us to stop wasting our time on passing judgment on others and worrying what they think about us.
Stay focused on Jesus instead, he tells us over and over. Focus on him, connect with him, and grow into his likeness. In the end, when the Lord shines his light into the darkness and everything that was hidden is seen, we’ll have nothing to fear, nothing to be ashamed of, and our passion for judging will have long passed away.
