I am someone who has made many mistakes in life. I am also used to sitting before the Lord and examining myself to see where I have gone wrong and how I went wrong (Ge.17:1). So I am painfully aware of much of my failures. Sometimes this knowledge tends to crush me, but it also helps me to throw myself helplessly into the Lord's keeping. In one way this disqualifies me entirely from throwing stones at anyone else (Jn.8:7), and I try to avoid going there. On the other hand it looks like the Lord has given me a task of pointing out different things to His people, such as errors, the right paths and corrections. These pointers sometimes look like stones being thrown, and sometimes I hesitate much before sending them out.
The question that comes to me is, "Don't people need to have some things pointed out to them, and if I have something that will help others in some way don't I need to tell them?" The next question that comes to my mind is, "There are things to be pointed out, but who am I to do that?"
The answer that comes to me is that this ministry is not about me. I am an earthen vessel which is also broken in several places. But if the Lord decides to put some treasure in this vessel to pass on to the others, who am I to stop Him (2Co.4:7)?
Granted there are people all around us who are throwing stones at us. The thing is, pointing out errors is not the same as casting stones at others. People who are insecure in themselves are generally unable to face their own faults, and they see anyone pointing out faults as judging them. But that does not mean that no one should tell them their faults. How will they hear unless someone tells them (Ro.10:14)? God tells us His children our faults because He loves us (He.12:6), and wants us to change (v.10). If we parents really love our children we will correct them even to the extent of punishing them if necessary. We know that children don't like correction, but it is necessary for them. We too need correction from the Lord, and many times He does that through His servants; He even uses unlikely people or things to correct us at times!
"Judge not" is a favourite quotation for many people because they don't like to be corrected. The spirit of the world also tells people not to give any place to negative (painful) thoughts but only to think positively! But there cannot be any healing without first recognising the sickness, and then there may be some uncomfortable tests and painful procedures before we are healed. What many people are doing seems to be to pretend as if there is no sickness and hoping it will go away with time.
'Everyone' likes to receive promises from God and prophecies that tell them about a bright future. But don't you think there should be more people telling us what is wrong with us and helping us to get well? When we read God's word, don't we think we ought to look for things that can correct us, rather than for things that would give us a false comfort?