God and Simon Cowell – Coming Judgment

“Don’t judge me, man.” Remember that line from the sixties?

I was born at the start of said decade that issued in this age where Americans celebrate their aversion to being judged.

Now, it’s one thing to eschew unfair judgments. It’s quite another thing to throw off the idea of being judged by any standard at all.

Just take a look at our media. Judges don’t get a fair rap in TV dramas, sitcoms or in movies. It seems that all of our fictional legal judges are corrupt, overworked, bumbling, prejudiced, ridiculously out of touch or easily swayed by theatrics. Maybe it all began with Laugh-In (Remember “Here comes the judge, here comes the judge, sock it to me, baby, ‘cuz here comes the judge.”?)

Even in our real life judicial system, we are skeptical that we will receive fair judgments’, believing real judges to be swayed by their own politics, personal agendas or special interests.

It seems we’re only comfortable with judges when we’ve been given the power to override their verdicts. That’s why American Idol is so popular. There, judgments don’t depend on one person’s opinion but an entire panel and even then, they aren’t final. We have veto power.

Psalm 19:9 says, “The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.” We have trouble trusting that.

Our varying images of God as judge are actually represented well on the panel of American Idol. Some of us believe God is like Simon Cowell – scowling, harsh, unforgiving, direct and dour – disregarding completely our sensitivities and judging us solely on our last performance.

Some of us think God is like Paula Abdul in His judgments, preferring to believe He sees past our missteps to the heart of our performance, reveling in the aura of our intentions and our beautiful, colorful soulful artist behind a couple of places that were off but who cares, we stayed true to who were are and that deserves a standing O!

Others see God as the ultra-cool dog, Randy Jackson who will come to judgment day with “OK, OK, check it out, your life was pitchy in places, man and there were some big moments that didn’t work for me but aaaahhh, forget about it, come over here and give me some love, dude, you’re all right, it’s all good.”

And perhaps a few see God as Kara DioGuardi, sort of a mysterious newcomer who acts like He has the right to judge but what exactly has He done to earn that right? Who is He really and why should I care what He thinks? This is a view of God I see more and more these days and it’s frightening.

Just as frightening as the idea that judgment should be abandoned all together or that the “crowd” should have veto power over the judge.

One thing is clear from Scripture and that is that we will ALL face judgment. The Bible says that judgment will start with the family of God but will extend to all creation.

What is your image of God as judge and where did you get that image? A parent? A religious figure? TV? Movies? An American courtroom? Donald Trump’s boardroom on The Apprentice? American Idol? You should think about this.

God wants to be known. He has revealed Himself to us through His Word and through His Son. It’s worth your time to get to know Him and the standards by which He will judge. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” I John 4:13-18 says,

“We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Judgment will come for us all. There is One True Judge. There is a standard. BUT, He has provided the way for all of us to meet that standard.

Check it out, dog. It’s all good.