Who's Judging Who?

Many people think that merely seeing wrong is “judgment” and will condemn another’s discernment with the accusation, “You're being judgmental!” This is a classic emotional response for their own judgement revealed.

Recognizing error in another is not automatically judgment. It can be done with grace once we become free from anger.

The kind of judgment that becomes a spiritually harmful phenomenon is where we become emotionally charged with anger for another’s faults – thereby playing God, secretly “damning” another for their imperfections.

Even Scripture alternately proclaims the necessity to exercise judgment, while also apparently warning against it. This is not a contradiction. It is because there is more than one kind. One is steeped in negative emotions, IE. anger, the other is neutral and unemotional – anger-free, loving.

Simply seeing how another is wrong is not automatically a judgment – at least not the kind that indicates we’re playing God. For a person who’s been freed of anger, there can only be a healthy discernment of error – the kind that protects us and can be helpful to others.

In typical debate or discussion, before waving a boney finger of indignation at others for being what you think is “judgmental,” watch your own angry response to their disagreement with your opinion. There you will often discover where the real Unholy Judge resides.