Never judge what you don't understand.

     Lutefisk, haggis, and a few other foods like them come to mind when I first penned that line.  Actually I stole the line.  It was to good to pass up!  Anyway, until I tasted these delicacies I didn't like them mainly from the description others gave me.  Anchovies included.  Then there is escargot.  Eating snails?  Yep, I've tried those as well.  From my point of view I can render an opinion on all of them because I tried them.  Now that logic doesn't apply to sin.  You don't have to try sin in order to determine whether it's good or not.  There is an innate understanding in our moral fiber that determines right from wrong.  When we contemplate judging what we don't understand we need to understand that there are different definitions of what judging actually is.  Judging can be condemning, evaluating, or even discernment.  The food mentioned about is not for the weak hearted.  I don't condemn the foods or those who eat them.  I have evaluated them and discerned that they are good.  Did I mention kimchee?  You see how it works.  We have the obligation to discern and evaluate.  We don't have the right to condemn. 
     I've been diagnosed with a condition called undifferentiated spondyloarthritis combined with chronic pain.  I don't expect you to have a medical or lay understanding of the condition.  I don't expect you to go and look it up and try to understand the condition.  I do expect you to not judge what and how my body reacts to that condition.  The same goes for many of the mental disorders/illnesses and even to the degree of where you and I are in the process of sanctification.  That's the big word for becoming more like Jesus.  We can evaluate only when we have knowledge or insight or it has happened to us.  We can discern only when we have knowledge or insight or it has happened to us.  We can not judge others because it's God's sole right to judge.   We can judge that which is before us.  Should we do so we would do well to judge ourselves and our lives before we do so with others.  It's our obligation to tell other Christians that what they are doing is sin.  Yes, we can see that so and so is stealing from the neighbors.  Yes, we know it's wrong.  Yes, we can tell so and so to stop.  Yes we can do this because we have evaluated, discerned and determined by judging that this is wrong.  We also have the obligation to restore those who have fallen in sin (all of us) with grace that God has given us.  Many forget where they came from and what they have done when judging others or others problems. 
     We can pretend that we are not judging.  However, pretending won't clear up the issues and deliver us from a spirit of condemnation.  We are condemned from birth because we are born sinful.  All of us.  So, we don't have the right to point to someone and say they are sinning because we are as well.  We do have the obligation to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ to understand the Scripture, return to fellowship and to repentance from the wrong they are doing.  Not everyone who says Lord Lord is saved.  Don't fall into the trap.  If you have anything unconfessed you are in no position to tell someone else to confess and get right with God.  Get right with God first, engage his mercy and grace and then offer that mercy and grace to others.  Leave the judging to God.  The Holy Spirit is given so that we can rightly discern between right and wrong and what to do.  The Son is given so that we have grace and forgiveness when we ask.  The Father is there to hear our pleas and to be with us through every day of our lives.  If we are concentrating on our relationship with God we won't have the time or inclination to bud into others lives and condemn.  Self examination will keep all of us busy for the rest of our earthly lives.  Go ahead and discern and evaluate.  Leave the judging to God.