I’m amazed by the abundance of incompetence in our world today. We have seen it on the world stage, within our national leadership, and at state and local levels as well. However, we also see it in the people we interact with on a daily basis. Businesses are suffering from incompetence as employees either don’t want to work or aren’t competent to do the job. It can be frustrating and maddening to see the rampant nature of this problem at all levels. Yet, have you ever considered that there is a Biblical response to dealing with incompetence?

Take a few moments to read the most well-quoted verse of our non-Christian culture today in its full context – Matthew 7:1-6. You’ll know it when you see it. It starts with: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Is that to be our view of everyone who we view as incompetent, incapable, and/or unholy? Are we to withhold making judgments about people’s lifestyle, beliefs, attitudes and actions? No. In fact, just the opposite is true. While this passage deals with judgments of any kind (even the competency of others), we are especially called to be discerning and make judgments about whether to call something a sin and to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Let’s examine the rest of this passage to get some further insight as Jesus unpacks the whole story.

1. Don’t be a Hypocrite – “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye” (v. 5) Don’t be that person that is quick to point out the problems in other people without first evaluating your own. As Christians, we are to be “be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15). Probably the biggest reason why the world sees Christians as judgmental is because they see problems in our lives as big as the ones we are pointing out in theirs.


2. Have a Heart to Help – If the object of your criticism of others is to belittle them, to publicly shame or humiliate, or to elevate yourself in some way, you have the wrong motive. “How wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye” (v. 4). Scripture wants us to be in a place to “pull out the mote” from others. The object of our confrontation should be to help them out of their problem. We need to come along side them, show them we care, and assist them in any way possible.


3. Don’t Get Hurt – The truth is that sometimes, even when we have examined our own lives and tried to address a problem in someone else in a caring and loving way, our advice and our help will be ignored and perhaps even loathed. In those cases, Jesus tells us: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (v. 6) Just like your Miranda rights, what you say sometimes CAN and WILL be used against you. When you identify someone who is not open to your help, back away. Some people will need to wallow in their own ignorance if they are not willing to acknowledge their problem or accept your insight. Continuing to judge and prod in those cases will only leave you more frustrated and possibly even get the tables turned on you in the process. It’s hard to let people go. But remember, the Lord is always able to work in people’s hearts and only once He does His work will you be able to do yours.

A key thought to remember is this – compared to God, who among the human race is truly competent at all? God shows His grace, mercy, and longsuffering towards us and expects us to show that same goodness to others as well. However, God is also the great judge and we are accountable to Him. So, go ahead and make a judgment, but do it in love and don’t be hypocritical in the process. In truth, we need each other’s help to bring us from our incompetent, unrepentant, and sometimes sinful state into a closer relationship with Him.