Now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword. All of you will bow down before the executioner. For when I called, you did not answer. When I spoke, you did not listen. You deliberately sinned, before my very eyes, and chose to do what you know I despise.

Isaiah 65:12 NLT

So, during the quarantine, I decided to play a video game. Now, I don’t really play video games (I don’t play at all, I haven’t played a mobile game since, February and it wasn’t even my mobile device or game). I would rather watch people play them or just not play them. But I love storytelling and when there’s time, why not try something that I always put off. So, I played this game on my PC. It was great! Amazing even! I did fall in love with the story and most of the characters. Though, there’s this moment that sticks with me. There’s a place in the game called The Judgement Hall.

The Judgement Hall is beautiful yet eerie with its dramatic lighting and repeating backdrop. It is the place where all the choices a player makes in the game come to light. It is in The Judgement Hall where the player can meet one of the hardest battles, or one of the easiest. This moment stuck with me because there are multiple endings and multiple ways to play the game. But in that hall, it was either a player fought the hall’s boss or didn’t. Yes, there were secrets a player could get, certain dialogue that builds the games lore, and other things. But for me, I just noticed how the Judgement Hall only had two outcomes, fight or don’t. Right or wrong.

If you are wondering what game it is, the game is Undertale. Thank you to the creator Toby Fox and the many other people (such as Temmie Cheng) who helped make it and supported the game.

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

John 7:24 KJV

Judgement is a familiar word we all know, and something most people know not to do. Now, does that mean we don’t judge people? No. At least for me, I do sometimes find myself judging people. Especially when I know what they’re doing is wrong. It’s wrong, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it, what they did was wrong. Playing through the game murdering characters, that’s wrong. Murder is wrong, cheating is wrong. People can argue that well maybe people grew up learning that it was right, or they didn’t know, or they were justified. But to me, if they chose to do it, they will have to be accountable for that choice, right or wrong, good or bad.

My view of choice and judgement is, harsh. It’s why I have God. God, is amazingly merciful and full of truth. Truth is, people choose to do wrong. It states that in Isaiah. The people chose not to do what God said. They had stories of His power and might, the terrifying things He could do (such as part a sea that then swallowed an army) but they still chose to not do what He said. They still chose to do wrong.

With that game, people hear the stories of what happens when you go through the game killing everything (it’s been out for like 4 years I’m very late to the hype). Yet, they still do it. We all know lying is wrong, but if it eases the other person’s feeling or benefits us, we’re more likely to do it (or at least when I was younger, I did). We choose to do wrong. God knows this, but He still loves us. He will help us get back up from the dirt and mess our wrong created. If we choose too.

See that’s the thing God has, and is still, helping me deal with, mercy and choice. Everyone has it. We can choose to do good; we can choose to do horrible things; we can choose to repent from those horrible things and become better. There are so many choices, but they’re not all mine. I make my choices, others make theirs. Even if someone is going exactly what I went through, if everyone played the same game, I can only play, my character. I can only decide for my character.

When other people make bad decisions, some of us will look to karma, say that’s what you get, or even I told you so (I knew it!). We love the payoff when someone gets what they deserve. But what is the righteous judgement? What does God say? What does He say about your judgement, about your heart, about your perspective?

God has showed me that I need mercy (for myself and others). So, when something happens, when I get angry because what they are doing is wrong, God reminds me of His mercy when I do wrong. He helps me through that anger, He guides me to love. But I have to choose it. I have to choose to let go of my judgment, my feelings, my view, to go with Him.

So, is what others do, how you see it, how it makes you feel, is it worth leaving God behind?

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG