I have this running commentary with a friend about being judgemental. I accuse them frequently about being just that. I received this text from them one night after one such accusation:
so this whole judgemental thing…maybe i should just watch what I say around you cuz i don’t usually come off so great :-/
I didn’t directly reply but decided to mull it over a bit. Which I’ve been doing for a while pre and post that comment. We carried on the conversations briefly about how our first impressions of people are, in many ways, just passing judgement. If we see someone that looks, or is doing something (or whatever external thing we can notice) that doesn’t align with our own “perfect” examples, then we pass judgement. Is it even possible to get away from this? If I see someone driving a big red pickup with a decal that says “Redneck” on the back, what comes to mind? And is that passing judgement or am I merely just making an observation?
When does making an observation turn into being judgemental?
This past weekend I was a part of a group of volunteers from our church that did some service projects across the city. On the outset, this provides ample opportunity for “making observations” in both the people who are serving and in the people to whom we are serving. I was a “runner” going between projects and helping provide technical and leadership direction to the groups who were serving. Thus, I got to see more people and projects than most.
One project was based at a mobile home park for a disabled lady. I’m not a big fan of mobile homes to begin with (passing judgement?). The following day, I was talking about the project and made a comment, a very judgemental comment about the gal’s son who was sitting around watching us work.
Which brought me back to the running conversation with the friend.
I am all too guilty of passing judgement.
I figure Ozzy will have something to say on the matter, so I read this for today:
Always measure your life solely by the standards of Jesus. Submit yourself to His yoke, and His alone; and always be careful never to place a yoke on others that is not of Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to get us to stop thinking that unless everyone sees things exactly as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God’s view. There is only one true liberty— the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.
I know God is the Ultimate Judge. And He will rightly and justly judge everyone on the day of redemption. It’s just one of those ever so hard things to do t put on that mindset. The mindset that perhaps, I am not “right” all the time and that my viewpoints may have faults in them.
At this point, I start to wonder about absolutes? Does Ozzy’s statement give us liberty to create our own doctrines? Have we done that to a large degree by having multiple denominations? I realize it’s impossible for everyone to agree upon the same exact things, but, where is the line drawn? Scripture talks about judgement a lot. A quick search reveals that I’ll need to spend a great deal of time reading the scripture on the matter.
I guess this is a bit of a hot button for me personally as I work thru some things that have hit me a little personally.
Definitely more on some of this at another time…
