Reserving Judgment
Are you quick to judge?
I like to think that I am not. The image I have of myself, though may be clouded and inaccurate, not because I tend to lie to myself, but because I don't think anyone can be a good judge of one's actions.
And that is the point.
"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get." - Matthew 7:1-2
If how I judge and treat others is how I will be judged and treated, then maybe I should start by looking at how I judge and treat myself, since a false self-image might translate into false perceptions of others.
How do I do that?
How do I take an objective look at myself to see clearly how I treat others?
It must be possible, because Jesus goes on in today's reading to give instructions on self examination.
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.
The dilemma lies in one's ability to see the log in the first place. So, the challenge is this. Can I see my own flaws and deal with them before looking for them in others?
Ah, but there is the rub, as they say. Why look for the flaws in others at all?
Looking for flaws may be one of our flaws, but it is also a defense mechanism. Without the ability to judge a situation quickly, to determine if we are entering into trouble or not, we could find ourselves at the end of the line, done.
I believe there are two types of judgment calls we make. There are those that are automatic, instinctual, the kind that prevent us from walking into danger, and those that require thought.
It is when we stop and think, give ourselves a moment or two to draw on our personal beliefs, prejudices and stereotypes that we make the judgment calls Jesus is talking about.
In the end, though, he is not saying we shouldn't make these judgments. He is just telling us to look inwardly first, to determine our intent and motive.
That's good advice, and probably something we should figure out how to do. The problem is we are probably not good at it.
Maybe we need lessons in reserving judgment, and that may mean we need instructions on how to accurate judge our own intentions.
I will have to look into that. Chances are I am not a good judge of my abilities to do that.
More to come...