John 7:14-36 | What am I going to do about it?

Given the fact that I do have a natural tendency to quickly pass judgment, I have two things that I practice to get past the surface. First, I challenge my position. Second, I ask a lot of questions.

For the first, let's say I see someone driving poorly. Maybe they're speeding. While my instinct is to say, "That guy is a terrible driver and has no consideration for others," I challenge it and instead say, "Maybe there is an emergency." Now my initial reaction may very well be correct. The point of the matter is to challenge my instinct of judgment on something I know very little about.

To the second, if I get the opportunity to talk to someone that I have quick judgment with, I like to practice asking a lot of questions. I want to get beneath the surface of the individual and show my care for them. As I have done this over time, I have found I have less inclination than before to judge unrighteously. That being said, this is not something that is simply solved by developing a different tactic. While those rules may be useful, it does not solve the issue of my own heart. That is a spiritual issue.

Surface level judgment comes from surface level people. But if I am sincere in giving my heart to the Lord, then I cannot be a surface level individual. The word of God itself divides the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Lord has been willing to look at the depths of my heart rather than just passing judgment on the surface. More than that, He changed my heart and gave me a new identity. What man would I be if I then passed judgment from the surface on everyone else I meet?

The most essential rule of righteous judgment is to be entirely humble before the Lord. Once pride creeps in, we lose. God resists the proud. But He gives grace to the humble.

What application are you committing to?