Let's Label

Some Christians play a lot of indoor games. Among their favourites is one we might call “Let’s Label”.

Here are some ground rules for starting. Find someone who is different. He or she may look different or sound different or think different. It works real well if the person holds to different opinions and/or reacts in a different way than the “acceptable manner”, which differs from your religious group. This game is especially effective if someone has a mark on his or her past record that your group considers worth discussing, even if it is over and done with, fully forgiven, and none of your business (which is true over 95 % of the time)

Here is how you play Let’s Label. It involves at least 6 steps.

1st step: Find something you don’t like about the person. That’s not hard to do since most people are much more demanding of others than of themselves.

2nd step: Examine the externals. You have to do this since there is no way to examine the ‘internals’.

3rd step: Form negative and critical opinions.

4th step: Jump to several inaccurate conclusions. This follows naturally, because there is always an inability to know all the facts.

5th step: Mentally stick a label on the person in question. That saves time...keeps you from having to verify all the details.

6th step: Freely share all findings and identifying labels with others...so everyone can “pray more diligently”.


Actually, there is another name for the game. It doesn’t sound nearly as nice or inviting, but it is the term Jesus used in His mountain message (Sermon On The Mount): judging

Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

Romans 14:4, 10-13

"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.

Matthew 7:3-5

Conquering the Habit

1st: Examine yourself before being tempted to inspect others
Focus on your own areas of weakness and error. For starters, look at your own impatience, laziness, pride, intolerance, greed, lust, ingratitude, anger, careless tongue, indifference, gluttony, pessimism and worry, just to name only a few. Self-examination does wonders when we are tempted to find fault.

2nd: Confess your faults before confronting another
I cannot explain why, but there is something therapeutic about admitting one’s own weakness prior to facing someone you need to confront. It brings humility to the surface, sending pride to their pit...and humble, gentle confronters are the best confronters.

3rd: Try to understand the other person’s struggle
That will make you gentle rather than harsh and condemning. Want a helpful tip? Start at home. If you can resolve the log-and-speck tension there, you are qualified to do so elsewhere.

4th: Remember, the goal is restoration, not probation
We are to relieve a person’s burden, not add to it.

~ extracts taken from “Simple Faith” by Charles R. Swindoll