Judgment

[JudoMinja]

Have you ever felt that you have been unfairly judged? Or perhaps the reverse- that someone you know of has not been judged harshly enough? Most everyone has had such feelings at some point in their life, usually in both directions.

We know every detail of our own lives very intimately. We know ourselves so well that sometimes we forget that others do not know us so well. Even your closest friends and family members do not know you as well as yourself, because they are not there with you for every moment of every day. They do not know the thoughts of your mind or the desires of your heart. They do not know what leads to certain choices and decisions or what has played the most prominent effect on our actions if we do not effectively communicate this with them. This, of course, leads to misunderstandings.

When a person has only pieces of the whole picture, they often misjudge the outcome. They make a call based on the information they have, filling in the blanks with guesses and assumptions. Sometimes, if a person is experienced enough or has been through a similar situation, they have enough pieces and enough prior knowledge that their judgment will lead them aright. More often than not, however, their assumptions will lead to misplaced pieces.

When this happens to us, it can be hurtful, though the hurt is rarely intentional. It is simply the result of inaccurate, incomplete information and faulty assumptions. Knowing this can help us overcome the pain of being unfairly judged. Instead of assuming the person meant harm, we can be understanding and explain our situation, giving the judger the missing pieces so they can make a more accurate assessment. When the opportunity to explain ourselves is not present, we can rest assured that they probably just did not understand the whole picture.

Sometimes, we are the ones placing inaccurate judgment on others. We see someone who seems to have unfairly gotten away with something and feel that something must be done. There are some who will even go so far as to take the responsibility of proffering the judgment themselves, but we must be careful. Just as we are often unfairly judged by those who do not see the whole picture, we cannot see the whole picture either. Instead of passing judgment, we should seek to be understanding.

The Lord has told us that judgment is his responsibility alone. He is the only one who can see the whole picture for everyone and proffer fair, accurate judgment for all. He has counseled us to reserve judgment and leave those who have done wrong in His hands. When something appears unfair, we must remember that God will exact judgment as He sees fit, and His judgment is always fair and perfect. We have no need to fear that He will judge us too harshly or others not harshly enough. Everyone will receive adequate judgment for their works.

Instead of seeking to remove the mote from another’s eye, the Lord has told us that we must work to remove the beam in our own. Our time here on earth is not the time for passing judgment but a time for preparation and perfection. If we are focused on preparing ourselves for the judgment day, we will have little time to worry about where others stand. Just as well, for that is not our responsibility anyway. Leaving judgment up to God and focusing instead on perfecting ourselves can help us in many ways.

In a matter as simple as an argument between siblings, one may say that the other deserved to be hit because they started it. Of course, then the other could be justified in hitting the first in return, saying the first deserved it because they hit first. This simple situation can translate to adult life in which a robber deserves to lose all they have, a molester deserves to be molested in turn, and a murderer deserves to be murdered in turn. We must be careful. Even when allotting judgment for simple matters and not such serious crimes we can create a never ending cycle. Family feuds and blood battles are started over simple matters when people take judgment into their own hands, dishing out only what the other deserves.

We must remember that if everyone got everything they deserved, we would all be stuck in the eternal torments of hell. God is a merciful God and wishes us to be merciful as well. In fact, He has said that we must be even MORE merciful than He. For God will pick and choose those worthy of His forgiveness, while He requires us to forgive everyone. Because we cannot see the big picture, because we are imperfect, our judgment will also be imperfect, no matter how hard we strive to make it otherwise. The Lord, however, is perfect, and so judgment is in His hands, for He will offer a perfect judgment.

All those who would enter into the church to learn of Him and follow His ways are to be accepted. All those who have done wrong are to be forgiven. Any judgment we take into our own hands will be answered upon our heads. The Lord will treat us with the same love, acceptance, and forgiveness with which we treat others.

This does not mean that we should be tolerant of the ways of the world. Accepting and loving others does not mean accepting their sins. We are to hold both ourselves and others responsible and accountable for living the high standards of God. We are living in a world that demands tolerance, claiming that inacceptance of actions equates to inacceptance of the man, claiming that a lack of tolerance equates to a lack of love. Do not accept these lies!

We can be accepting of our brethren without accepting their actions. We are to hold ourselves to a high standard, living in the world but not of the world. When we are in control of our setting and our surroundings, we can require that others do the same in our presence. If they choose not to, we can request that they leave, or leave ourselves. The world is run by ever-shifting, ever-changing standards that are slipping further and further from the Lord. If we accept them, we will infallibly fall from God’s path.

We know that many will choose not to uphold the same high standards to which we hold ourselves. This does not mean we can cast them aside or pass judgment on them. We must always be loving and strive to encourage them to do what is right. They must know that while we do not tolerate their sins, we love them and want them to feel the presence of the Lord in their lives. We should welcome them in church, in our homes, let them know what we expect of them, and NEVER pass judgment on them. When we judge others harshly over trivial matters, we can expect that the Lord will treat us the same.

We have all made mistakes and fall short of the glory of God. Yet, God wishes for all of us to return to His presence. Thus, we should not turn anyone out or make them feel unwelcome. All are to be welcomed into His church. All are to be treated with love and respect. All are to be brought onto the path of repentance and forgiveness. All are His children and should be treated as such.

The Lord does not say to the sinner- “Be gone. You are not welcome here. Your choices have created a bad example that will lead my followers astray. My gift of mercy is not for you.” No. The Lord says- “Come into my fold all ye that are weak and heavy laden and I will make your burdens light. Come unto me all ye sinners, and repent, and I will make your pathways bright. Welcome into my home and my presence. I love you and will always love you, no matter what you have done.” Should not we do the same?

The lord knows the hearts and minds of all. He knows who has truly committed themselves to following in His ways. He knows who is striving to perfect themselves and who has given in to the perceptions of the world. He knows the circumstances surrounding all. He has all the pieces to the puzzle, and only His judgment is pure and right. It is not our place, in our imperfections, to pass judgment that would likewise be imperfect and lack the necessary balance of justice and mercy, a judgment that no matter how fair we strive to make it will always be unfair. We are only to perfect ourselves and welcome others with kindness, understanding, and love to likewise perfect themselves. Bring yourself and others unto Christ, and leave judgment up to God