As a sports fan, I’ve complained about umpires before. I get caught up in the emotion of the game, yelling at the screen because I think I see it better. Truth is, I’d make a terrible umpire. I’m too involved. I don’t always know the rules. I just focus on where I think the action is supposed to go.
That’s a helpful image for what Paul warns us about in Colossians 2:18. He says: don’t let anyone disqualify you. In other words, the idea is don’t let someone else act like the umpire of your spiritual life, especially when they’re operating from a human rulebook. It’s one thing to have trusted friends or mentors speak truth into your life. We need that. But it’s another thing to let someone else tell you whether or not you belong to God based on their checklist.
Paul mentions people judging others based on what they eat or drink, or how they observe religious holidays. Those can be meaningful disciplines. But they are not the foundation of grace. When we make them the standard for spiritual worth, we risk replacing Christ with tradition.
It’s a good moment to pause and ask yourself a few questions:- Have I given too much weight to someone else’s opinion about my walk with God?
- Have I been quick to judge others based on how closely they follow my rules?
- Am I living from connection to Christ or performance for people?
When we try to umpire someone else’s soul, or let them umpire ours, we risk missing the grace of God right in front of us. Christ alone is the Head. Growth comes from staying connected to him, not from being right all the time.
We shouldn't hand our spiritual worth over to someone else's scoreboard. So today, be a bad umpire. Don’t rule people out. And don’t let anyone rule you out, either.
Stay blessed...john | 
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