ARE CHRISTIANS CALLED TO BE JUDGEMENTAL?
That pretty much says it, doesn't it? The truth is... everybody uses judgment every day. It just gets more complicated when other people evaluate the "judgment". Whether it was good or bad depends on who you ask.
So how do you know who to listen to? Who gets to decide if you're showing good judgment?
The answer comes when you look to God for answers. Believing and relying on God's word sheds incredible light on the issue. Because God has an amazing plan for you and your life, He does all He can to help you find and attain it. That means when you work with God, He gives you the grace to make right decisions and show good judgment.
Of course, I'm not so sure that extends to that ugly, green shirt you just bought because it was on sale. And it might not cover your decision to shave your head because you lost a bet. I think the consequences of those decisions will ultimately be yours and yours alone!
There is a real danger, though. Just because you're working with God to move forward in your own life, doesn't mean you have the right or responsibility to judge what someone else is doing. It's so easy to "have an opinion" about others because you have no direct responsibility for what other people do or say. But God isn't going to ask about other people when you stand before Him someday, He is going to be concerned about what you said and did.
So how do you get started working with God so you can start making right decisions and showing good judgment?
* Make the decision to let God be God. You'll never make progress in this area as long as you refuse to give up control. It certainly isn't easy, and it certainly doesn't happen overnight, especially if you're a control freak as I once was. It almost drove me completely nuts when I gave up control of things. But it helped immensely when I realized there was somebody more qualified than me in charge of my life.
* Study the Word. The only way you're going to get to know God and His character is to study His word. It won't take long before you're able to judge situations and circumstances with a new view. Decisions are easier because you already know in advance the direction you want your life to go.
* Surround yourself with people who are further along in the journey. There is no reason to learn every lesson yourself when you have a perfectly good example right in front of you. Learn from the mistakes of others so your own learning curve is less. You'll be very glad you don't have to go through every mistake....but trust me, you'll still make plenty on your own.
* Never give up. Be glad about your progress. Let yourself off the hook. You didn't start showing poor judgment overnight and you won't always show good judgement now, just because you want to. Just be happy you're making progress and you're seeing things in your life improve.
Showing good judgment takes time, but once you make the commitment to move forward in this area, you're halfway there. Working with God is continuous, but so worth the effort.
To read my additional articles, scroll up and click on the relevant topic on the right.
So how do you know who to listen to? Who gets to decide if you're showing good judgment?
The answer comes when you look to God for answers. Believing and relying on God's word sheds incredible light on the issue. Because God has an amazing plan for you and your life, He does all He can to help you find and attain it. That means when you work with God, He gives you the grace to make right decisions and show good judgment.
Of course, I'm not so sure that extends to that ugly, green shirt you just bought because it was on sale. And it might not cover your decision to shave your head because you lost a bet. I think the consequences of those decisions will ultimately be yours and yours alone!
There is a real danger, though. Just because you're working with God to move forward in your own life, doesn't mean you have the right or responsibility to judge what someone else is doing. It's so easy to "have an opinion" about others because you have no direct responsibility for what other people do or say. But God isn't going to ask about other people when you stand before Him someday, He is going to be concerned about what you said and did.
So how do you get started working with God so you can start making right decisions and showing good judgment?
* Make the decision to let God be God. You'll never make progress in this area as long as you refuse to give up control. It certainly isn't easy, and it certainly doesn't happen overnight, especially if you're a control freak as I once was. It almost drove me completely nuts when I gave up control of things. But it helped immensely when I realized there was somebody more qualified than me in charge of my life.
* Study the Word. The only way you're going to get to know God and His character is to study His word. It won't take long before you're able to judge situations and circumstances with a new view. Decisions are easier because you already know in advance the direction you want your life to go.
* Surround yourself with people who are further along in the journey. There is no reason to learn every lesson yourself when you have a perfectly good example right in front of you. Learn from the mistakes of others so your own learning curve is less. You'll be very glad you don't have to go through every mistake....but trust me, you'll still make plenty on your own.
* Never give up. Be glad about your progress. Let yourself off the hook. You didn't start showing poor judgment overnight and you won't always show good judgement now, just because you want to. Just be happy you're making progress and you're seeing things in your life improve.
Showing good judgment takes time, but once you make the commitment to move forward in this area, you're halfway there. Working with God is continuous, but so worth the effort.
To read my additional articles, scroll up and click on the relevant topic on the right.
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