Resist the Judge

Have you sat in worship or at a concert and said, “she doesn’t look good in that color” or He didn’t quite hit that note? etc.

The judge in you is at work. We are often measuring, discriminating, just plain judging others, and ourselves.

Judging ourselves and others can make us makes us mean spirited.

Can we work toward humility and mercy instead?

Jesus said to the disciples, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

Luke 6:36-38

How often a self-critical thought keeps us stuck.

I did that wrong.

It’s not good enough.

Nobody will like it.

Since “I didn’t do that right”- it doesn’t count- I should just give up.

I once told my mother a story critical of some other family members. She listened to me carefully. I thought I was right about what I considered other’s bad behavior.

She really didn’t respond. In a wonderful silent way, she showed patience with me and love for the others.

She did what I have called a “strategic nonintervention” - she said nothing but that said something important. Love is more important than being right; being in relationship often means setting aside judgement.

Catch yourself when you are critical of others. Ease up when you are critical of yourself.