Discernment

There is something that seems to be pretty universal, something I think most people struggle with, in and out of the church, something Jesus taught that people shouldn‘t do.  This particular thing can take place the minute you see someone, even before you talk to them or get to know them.  You can do this when talking to someone on the computer, the phone or just by texting.  I have done this many times and my guess is you have done this also, more times than you want to admit and, like I said, so have I.  There is only One that can do this and never sin regardless of how many times He does it, and that is the Lord because He knows all things, even the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Can you guess what I am talking about

I am talking about judging other people and criticizing them.  You might say, “I have the gift of discernment,” and that is good thing, it would be good if every believer had that gift, but even with that gift you need to use it wisely with the right intent in mind.  I think I have said this before in other Tidbits that I have written; even if you may be telling the truth about the person, if you say it in a negative way, it can, and many times will, hurt that person’s reputation so it is better left unsaid.  Some people judge by skin color or nationality or by the way people dress or the length of their hair or the tattoos they have or how people talk or many other reasons and it needs to stop.

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

I think reaping what you sow comes into play here, which is a universal problem for most all of us also.  Is Jesus saying we should never judge anyone?  I don’t think so; I think it was our critical, judgmental attitudes Jesus was concerned with.  Many times we use our judgmental attitudes to tear people down so that we can make ourselves look better in people’s eyes.  This is the opposite of building people up, which we should be doing.  We should examine our own motives for the reason we are standing in judgment of someone else.  Did you ever think that the reason you may judge someone else is because they are a lot like you and you don’t like it?  

It has taken me a long time to learn this lesson, along with a lot of repentance and I am still working on it, hoping someday I will never be guilty of it again.  Have you ever heard this saying, “don’t judge the book by the cover?”  That is what we do far too often.  This reminds me of how many of the people judged Moses and complained and criticized him when things didn’t go the way they thought they should.  

If you don’t have it, you may want to pray for the gift of discernment, but if you receive the gift use the gift with the right intent in mind and flee all the negative judging and criticizing, and let the one who can judge fairly, take care of the judging.  Something to think about!  May you have a great day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!