Life is a series of judgment calls, big and small. “Is my colleague telling me the truth?” “Can I believe this advertiser’s claims?” Nearly every day you have to pass judgment on some situation, and your opinions and decisions often have consequences for the other people involved. The stakes may not be as high or the judgment as final, but like a magistrate in the judicial system, your judgment matters.
I once told My critics, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”1 What is righteous judgment? It is judging fairly and honestly, applying the right rule to that particular situation and sometimes looking beyond the facts to see the hearts and true intentions of those involved.
Before passing judgment it’s important to remain impartial and get all sides of the story. The better informed you are, the better chance you will have of judging correctly.
And of course it’s always wise, even in seemingly small matters, to talk it over with Me before passing judgment. Remember, I am the great, all-seeing, all-knowing Judge who will judge the world at the end of days, so I know quite a bit about making righteous judgment.
—Jesus
Podcast
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
1. John 7:24
