The J word

Judging. Yes, I said it. Judging. To some people it’s a bad word (though they use it often enough). To some Christians, it’s the unpardonable sin. To popular media, it’s the biggest scandal. To me, it’s a reality I wish people would understand.

For all the Christians out there screaming for a curb on judging, I’d like to remind you of a well-known passage of scripture: “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” I don’t know what other people think of that, but if I mistake not it seems to be saying that people judge from the sense God gave them (sight, smell, hearing, understanding, facts, knowledge) to put together a picture in their mind. Only God is truly capable of looking at the true identity of a person. Let’s not pretend that there is anyone but the Creator who can honestly say they don’t judge. The Bible would not warns us of it if it wasn’t so.

Outside of the Christian world, the anit-judge movement is just as strong, but with a different foundation. TV shows, movies and all involved in that line of business and any outspoken line will tell you with vhim and vigor about the sin of judging. It’s “not about what you look like” and it’s “do what you love no matter what other people think”. There’s a reason there are production and artistic directors: to make things look good because people pay attention to what they see!! I don’t know one celebrity or anyone one in the public eye who isn’t dressed for the part–doesn’t do what they do except to make a point to other people. A nice thing to remember for this group of people comes from Batman (hardly objectionable to anyone) “It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.” Never was a truer word spoken.

When someone tells me I shouldn’t judge, my first reaction is “I’m judging? Can you really make that judgement? Isn’t that…illegal?”. People judge. It’s a fact. No one can say that they don’t because that’s implying that other people do and then they end up judging. The only reason anyone ever says that they don’t judge is because they know that they will be judged by that statement. It’s a natural part of life–the circle of life. We judge, are judged, and judge again. 

It’s a harsh fact, to be sure, but judging is a fact nonetheless. If anything, we can use this fact to our advantage. Understanding that people judge by appearances and first impressions, we therefore needs to make sure they have every reason to judge in our favor. Do people get jobs by looking like an unreliable bum? Are first dates based on your winning personality? Do athletes get picked for a team if they’re scrawny? I think not.

People judge too much by appearance? Yes they do, so make sure it’s a good one.

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