Labeling – Stereotyping – the Lord calls us not to Judge

 

Labeling – Stereotyping – the Lord calls us not to Judge

 

Labeling, name calling, describing people by what they look like or their character traits.

 

Being angry with others for not treating me with respect. It is not about me. We are called not

 

The Lord certainly does not want us labeling people or giving them a character type or description.

 

He doesn’t want us judging people as good looking or not, fat or thin, tall or short, blonde or red hair, thin face or fat, long legs or short, bald, young, old, etc. etc.

 

He also doesn’t want us to describe people as nervous, shy, loud, obnoxious, angry, quiet, funny, jealous, mean spirited, this, that or the other thing.

 

He doesn’t want us labeling each other by race, color, nationality, religion, sex.

 

He doesn’t want us to make blanket statements by group type, what is referred to as stereotyping.

 

He certainly does not want us to call another person a derogatory name or get into negative or slanderous name calling.

 

Label – a descriptive or identifying term. To describe or identify with a label.

 

Slander – a false or malicious statement injurious to another’s reputation. Defame.

 

Derogatory – tending to belittle, disparage. Detracting.

 

Stereotype – a conventional, formulaic, usually highly simplified opinion, conception or belief.

 

Too often we group people together by type or by label or by stereotype, race, color, religion, sex.

 

The Lord wants us to treat each other with respect and dignity.

 

It would be unfair of us to judge or characterize another person by the way they look.

 

Our parents told us you can’t judge a book by its cover.

 

How are we going to get to know someone if we have already labeled then or stereotyped them?

 

Prejudice – a bias for or against something formed without basis. Irrational, intolerance of or hostility towards members of a certain race, religion or group.

 

I just think of all those times when I based an opinion on someone or something without getting to know that individual or thing.

 

This is really irrational; our Lord has asked us to live in peace with one another, to live in harmony and to love our neighbor as our self.

 

When someone asks you about another individual as a means of describing them, let that person know that you don’t make it a habit to judge other people and besides you would not want to influence their opinion of a particular individual.

 

People want us to describe people by looks, temperament, race, color, religion, obviously sex, occupation, leisure time activities and physical or personality type characteristics.

 

How does the Lord want us describing another person?

 

He doesn’t, he doesn’t want us making judgments.

 

He certainly does not want us talking ill of one another.

 

Leviticus 19:16 – Do not go around spreading slander among your people. Titus 3:2 – To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility towards all men. Not just some men, but to all men. In 1 Corinthians 4:13 – Paul instructs us that when we are slandered we are to answer kindly.

 

When Paul describes wicked or evil people to he always includes slanderers.

 

1 Corinthians 6:10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Romans 1:30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;

Slander is an evil thing brought on by Satan. Remember to curb your tongue. It can be sharper than a double edged sword but you can’t let it be.

 

Only speak kind things of other people.

 

Words like derogatory, label, stereotype, and prejudice don’t even appear in the bible anywhere.

 

But I think it is sufficient to say none of these represent true and absolute love.

 

Be careful then not to call other people names, to label them by a characteristic or character type, to judge you fellow man.

 

I know a couple of reasons why people do this.

 

One out of fear of the unknown and the second is more basic – self survival.

 

I believe it is prudent to be wise, to use good judgment, to be on the lookout for the evil one, to not be deceived. This is only smart, we need to be alert and on the lookout for evil. I am not referring to these situations.

 

I am referring to safe situations where we let our tongue get the best of us.

 

As our mothers taught us, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

 

This is very true, why interject anything negative, critical, and cynical, about another person.

 

Why say anything at all?

 

Would you see Jesus speaking ill of another person, classifying them or categorizing them, I think not.

 

Why do we do it then?

 

Usually to build our self up.

 

It makes us feel better about our self when we can speak ill of another. In reality it has the opposite effect.

People don’t like to be around people who speak negatively of others.

 

They fear what you are going to say about them behind their backs. If we never speak ill about someone to another person, they will trust and respect us more.

 

They will have confidence to confide in us and desire to associate with us because we are truthful, honest, sincere, nonjudgmental, positive, optimistic etc.

 

People will want to associate with you; they will like you and appreciate your friendship.

 

Remember then to watch your tongue, watch out for the evil one, don’t judge but use good judgment.

 

I wrote a short note to Christina today and I emphasized to her two very important rules in life that I want to live and guide my life by.

 

First, always keep your word!

 

No matter what, always be true to your word and your commitments. Always do what you say you are going to do.

 

Secondly, actions speak louder than words!

 

Let your actions do the talking.

 

Don’t say you are going to do something and then not do it.

 

Likewise don’t verbally say you are going to do something, just do it.

 

Go the extra mile, standout, do way, way more than you are asked to or are required to do.

 

Go above and beyond the call of duty.

 

Don’t be lazy and take the easy way, do everything you do with an attitude of perfection.

 

Don’t wait to be asked, observe what needs to be done and do it without someone asking you to do it.

People respect others who do things without being asked to do them.

 

Don’t just walk past something that needs to be picked up and put away, pick it up and put it away where it belongs whether or not you made the mess.

 

It doesn’t matter; it is all part of serving one another with love.

 

We are not each other’s servants; we should not be doing things for others who are capable of doing them.

 

We need to teach our children how to do things for themselves, how to go the extra mile, do things with an eye of perfection.

 

We must teach them to slow down, don’t look for the easy way, pay attention to details and have them take pride in their work.

 

It is not about how fast something gets done but how well it gets done.

 

We don’t do things just to get them over with, but to do the very best job we know how.

 

I think that is enough for today, my hand is definitely hurting. I love you my Lord Jesus. I pray that you will watch over me and may the Holy Spirit be with me in all my conversations. May he teach me what it means to love my neighbor as myself. Be with me Lord in all my speech.

 

Our (my) father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give me this day my daily bread and forgive me my sins as I forgive those who have sinned against me, lead me not into temptation and deliver me from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory now and forever.

 

Amen.

 

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.