Which doesn’t mean you can’t ever use it, only that it’s best to use it infrequently and only when absolutely necessary. There is, I think, an appropriate time and place for four-letter words. Just not all the time. And by “use” I mean, of course “do.”
If anyone is truly honest, no one wants to live in a world where no one judges. We all judge our food. We judge whether or not a product is worth the price. We judge our favorite sports teams and—perhaps more harshly—our least favorite sports teams. Teachers judge educational performance. Doctors judge the effectiveness of medical treatments. Judges judge court cases.
We all recall do want to live in a world where people judge, just not a world where people are judgy.
So how and when to judge? With whom? In what manner? There are no silver-bullet answers to such questions, but here’s a good rule of thumb. I call this the Judge-Like-Jesus method:
- Acknowledge human standards of judgment. Which is most of them most of the time. Yours and everyone else’s. Because you are human, and so are they.
- Say, “I pass judgment on no one.” That’s a direct Jesus quote. Seems like a solid default position.
- Ask yourself, “Do I feel compelled to pass judgment on a thing or on a person?” If it’s a thing, judging is probably not a big deal. It might even be a good thing. If it’s a person, you might want to slow your roll. An overcooked burger is different than a disagreeable human.
- If then you do judge, resolve to “stand with the Father.” Another direct Jesus quote. This requires slow, patient discernment. Beware of assuming that you’re standing with the Father when you’re really standing with someone else and their ideology. You might think you’re standing with him, but he very well might not be standing with you.
