Who's the Judge?

As I was folding laundry the other day, my thoughts were interrupted by the heated conversation upstairs.  I listened for a minute, until I heard Ashlyn vehemently declare, "You have to give Mommy two pennies for that!"  I knew that Ashlyn was referring to a rewards system (of sorts) that I am using for Emily right now.  

Hardly anything irritates me more as a mother than to hear my children try to administer judgment to each other.  I can't stand it when I am encouraged to discipline one child by another.  I just want to say, "Stay out of it!  This is mommy's job, not yours!"

I wonder if God feels the same way when we go around trying to place judgment on each other?  Sometimes we don't think of ourselves as being that way, but we are all like that to an extent.  Jesus spoke directly to that subject in Matthew 7:1-2, Do not judge so that you will not be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Those are very poignant words that we should not fail to heed.  Do we really want to be measured according to our own standards?  Sometimes we set the bar so high for others, yet we forget to look at ourselves first.  Plus, as with the case of Ashlyn and Emily, we are simply not in a position to declare judgment!  God alone knows hearts and intentions.  He alone has the right to pass judgment.  This isn't to say that we shouldn't use wisdom and discernment that God gives to us, sometimes referred to as "righteous judgment".  It's okay to be upset when we see God's name clearly being dishonored, but we should follow His instructions for our actions.  He is the ultimate authority!

I believe that part of my work as a mother is to not only administer discipline where needed, but also to make sure that my children know that while they answer to Jason and me, we (and they) (and everybody else) ultimately answer to God.