It’s amazing how often we pass judgment on others. I’d bet most of us do it daily. We are so quick to make assumptions in situations we know absolutely nothing about. Or we just make a decision on someone because of our own issues or experiences. No matter how or why we do it, the fact is we DO.
The bible is pretty clear about judging others. Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Of course Matthew goes on to discuss this topic and clearly, there are cases where justice must happen and judgment is necessary. I’m not talking about that here.
Let’s just cover some of the millions of topics we (women mostly) judge each other with: outer appearance, breast vs bottle, to circ or not to circ, weight, parenting styles, our homes, family size, attitudes, talents, family dynamics, pro-life vs pro-choice, and the list goes on and on…. Gets old doesn’t it?
Don’t you get tired of being cautious about what you say when discussing certain topics because you KNOW someone may attack you for your beliefs? Not only that but if someone knows you well enough to know your stance on something, instead of asking you why you believe what you do, they will just make assumptions on your behalf. If you have a firm belief, you are automatically lumped into the zealots category or “one of those people“.
For example, just because someone is 100% pro-life, does not mean that they are okay with abortion clinic bombings or murders of abortion clinic doctors. Yes, of course there are extremists but that’s just it. They are EXTREMISTS, not the norm and they don’t represent the whole pro-life group.
Another assumption of pro-lifers is that they hate or judge women who have had abortions. Not true. You can hate the act and not hate the person. There is more on this topic but I’ll leave it at that for now.
Instead of passing instant judgments on someone, why not ask. It opens the dialogue and you can agree to disagree but try it. A simple, “Tell me what made you choose to lean towards that decision?” goes a long way to really giving an insight into a situation and a person’s mind.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a hard time not thinking things like, “Wow, I’m glad that’s not ME” or other less honoring thoughts. I am working on this. Knowing a person’s story can open our eyes and lead us down the road of compassion and understanding. It’s so much better than bashing on each other and tearing down another person just to prove our point is the right one. We are commanded to LOVE, not tear down! Love is often a result of understanding.
Think back to a time where you found out someone’s back story and all the sudden, you view them differently. You understand them. Their reactions to certain things make perfect sense and you are drawn to love and care for them in a new way! These are the things I want to remember and focus on when I see something that makes me want to make a snap judgment.
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”