Judgment

We all do it. We are all guilty of it. We should stop.

I have been reflecting on this for quite some time. It is easy to judge others when our life is going good. It is easy to pass blame, shame and harsh words on someone else as they struggle through life’s ups and downs. We become watchers. We watch and we wait, like vultures. Waiting for that precise moment when that person messes up, and then we are there…not with kind supportive thoughts and words, but with condemning eyes and hearts. Why? Why do we find it so easy to look down on someone else?  We have gotten so good at it, that we even fool ourselves into thinking we are not doing it. We say, “I’m not judging, but……” That’s where we should all STOP, take out a mirror and look into it. Deeply, honestly. Would we like what we see? Would we see perfection? I think not.

We do it to the stranger on the street begging for money, we do it to the mother at the Wal-Mart yelling at her children, the teenager smoking their cigarette, and if that isn’t enough, we do it to the ones we love and cherish the most. We lift ourselves up by discussing the faults of others, when in reality we should be looking inward at our own shortcomings and working to fix them.

I will admit that I do it more than I should. I do it without even thinking. Sometimes it’s second nature to point out what is wrong with someone else. That is the scary part. Would I like a magnifying glass brought over my life? Would I like someone pointing out all of my failures as a mother, sister, friend, wife and daughter? Would I like someone judging me for all of the mistakes that I have made in my life to this point? Believe me, there are many. No, I would not like that…it would hurt badly. So then I ask myself the question, why on earth would I want to hurt someone else?

We all mess up. We all make horrible, wish we could take it back mistakes. We all fall short of perfection.  Every situation is unique; life is NOT black and white. So let’s take an active approach to see it that way. Let’s try to see the various shades of grey in people’s lives, and try to be understanding, less critical, and not judge. I mean, you really don’t know the life they lead, you don’t know their childhood and what they have been through to get to this point, you don’t know the condition of their heart, you don’t know their current situation, I mean really KNOW it.  Can we all stop lifting ourselves up on others errors?  After all, we are all just human.

It will take work, and prayer, but I promise to try, if you will. Look at others out of love, not judgment. Not only will you feel better, you just might help someone else feel better too, and isn’t that what life is all about?. There will come a day when we will all be judged, perfectly…so let’s try to love and not hate while we are here.

That’s all for now.