Judging Not

How easily we judge! We make judgments, literally, all day long. Sometimes they are about making a decision at work, sometimes they’re about people. Without even realizing it, we assess those we meet based on appearance, the way he or she talks, the person’s friends, and the things that they say. Too often, the focal point of our judgment is the least important one.

Doesn’t the bible say “Do not judge lest you be judged?”

Daily I encounter reactions – including my own – that are inappropriate. I think we need to learn to put first impressions aside. Then I think we need to take a deeper look at those we meet each day. It could be that the person who lashes out is the person who is hurting deep inside, and who has no one to listen. The quiet, apparently uninterested woman in the back of the room may be hoping beyond hope that someone will draw her from her shell and include her in a conversation. We should remember that, when we are in pain or simply not feeling well, we are often short with others.

While we can’t usually change the way a person behaves, we CAN work toward being more understanding towards it. Matthew 10:40 reads “He who receives you, receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Each of us is a unique work of God’s creation. Let us strive to receive others more thoughtfully, and less judiciously – more as Christ receives us.  How sad it would be if our friends could not look past the worst in us!