Passing Judgement

Let's be honest with ourselves right now - we are all guilty of passing judgement on others.

This is something I have realized about myself recently. I might not do it on purpose, and usually I don’t truly mean it either. But, I still judge! This is simply because our human nature is judgy - it just is and always will be. But, that does not make it okay. 

Now, I believe in God. I believe in the bible. I believe in what the bible tells us when it comes to right and wrong. I also believe I should try my hardest to follow what it says. Below is a passage from the bible that I absolutely admire:

Matthew 7:1-6 1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don't give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.” 

It’s almost like God expects us to be completely opposite of what our minds tell us to be. God says to love everyone the way He does, while the devil inside us says to judge them instead. Even if you’re not religious, you probably still have some kind of battle like this going on inside your head. 

I have been trying to “train” myself not to judge simply because it makes me feel like a crappy person when I do. There are three things I routinely carry out when I catch myself judging someone - stranger or not: 

  1. I call myself out. I say OUT LOUD, “You are judging this person for ‘xyz’ and that is not your place.” 
  2. I say something kind about them. Even if I have no idea who this person is, I think of something positive about them - whether it be their appearance, personality, the car they drive, etc.
  3. I pray. Just a quick prayer, asking God for forgiveness and then sometimes I pray for the individual I am judging. 

Religious or not - when that battle starts up inside you, which voice will you choose to listen to?