"Judgment" A Call to Self

"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31 KJV).

Judgment of self is encouraged by Scripture, and is the principle we must endeavor to enact in our lives. If I judge myself, and you would judge yourself, we won’t be judged. You may have encountered a situation, where you chose not to judge someone, yet, you found out someone has rendered judgment concerning you. In this kind of scenario, I would have to ask myself, did I judge myself?

This message or the moral of the story of self-judgment is that, we know and possess within us, all of the particulars and intricacies concerning what we’ve done, or may be doing, and no one else except for God, has all the full facts, and pieces of each, and every situation. Yet, you and I do, and we have what is necessary to judge ourselves. I know that I do not have all the information needed to judge anyone else, if I was not present. Even when present, I may not know what motivates the heart or mind, because I am not all-knowing, nor am I everywhere present, and that makes it impossible for me to judge others righteously or rightfully.

Nothing can or will ever make it impossible for God to judge righteously. He has every piece of information, I do not. Adherence to judging me is the most practical application. Whether someone judges me is neither here, nor there, because ultimately I will be judged by God, and all that I will be able to say is, He is right!

God’s judgment of everything and everyone is righteous, because He has all of the facts and knows every detail and His judgment is always going to be righteous, because of his omnipresence and omniscient. In other words, He is everywhere present and knows everything, we don’t. Judge righteous judgment we are instructed, agree with God’s assessment and judgment and that is how we can judge righteously, by adhering and aligning our lives with His judgment. We know in part and that is the deterrence we should ascertain.

Knowing in part disqualifies us in judging others, but it doesn’t disqualify us in judging ourselves, because we have or hold all the facts in our memories, we know when our motives are not right, and we are admonished and exhorted to judge ourselves. Have you ever had someone tell you a story about someone, and all that supposedly happened in a circumstance? There a judgment call is commissioned from you, which asks you, what are your thoughts regarding this situation? In light of the Scriptures, I would have to, and would want to decline from giving a response, because I don’t have all the facts; just he said, that she said. In summation implies and means gossiping and tale-bearing.

It is gossip because you don’t know what happened, and are content to spread and repeat what you have been told, and it isn’t really your own business. It is not in alignment with working out your own salvation. You can develop itching ears if you do not take action, and stop the person spreading the news, and guard your own heart with all diligence, because out of it flow the issues of life. Gossip and tale-bearing which leads to judgment can only be stopped by you! Don’t allow your ears to be contaminated by what you can’t even prove that can enable you to judge righteously. We have to value our ears, not to be a trash can, but, value them so that we can take heed how we hear and what we hear. Every situation is call to judgment, but we need discernment in determining that it is a full time job judging self.

Judgment is an essential aspect of our everyday lives, and we need it in everything we think, do, and say. We need judgment to be effectual in what we think, all of our thoughts need judgment. We need judgment to know what to do in every situation. We also need judgment in determining what to say and how to say it. Our consciences are in a judgment mode, ascertaining good from evil and as we seek the counsel of the Word of God, our consciences gravitate towards the good and shun the evil as the principles instruct us and by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We need judgment in reasoning whether we are choosing the right motives and purposes in our lives, and do they line up with God.

We need judgment in our imaginations which support healthy images which conform us into the image of God; and to also cast down every imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge we receive about God. Our intellects need judgment to assimilate our thoughts to integrate our minds to desire wisdom, the right use of what we know. We need judgment operating in our emotions, to know the difference between joy and sorrow, and how to emote in a healthy manner. Our holistic souls need judgment.

Judgment as it pertains to judging others is not something we need, nor should we want in lieu of the Word. We are counseled, advised, admonished, warned, and discouraged through the Word of God about judging others.

“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1 KJV).

Why not judge others? We should not do it because the Word discourages it, and tells us that with the same measure we give, we will receive it. The law of reciprocity or exchange is in operation.

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37 KJV).

Forgiveness is a better option and path than judgment. Mercy triumphs over judgment, and judgment will never triumph over mercy. Grace and peace.