Stop Judging

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” Matthew 7:1

This is one of those teachings of Jesus that is almost impossible for me to do. We really should not judge because only God sees the heart but the tendency of our heart is almost always towards judging others. The thing is we won’t be able to understand why people do the things they do unless we walk in their shoes. 

However there is also such a thing as right judgement. For instance, when we hire a person for a job, we are supposed to make an evaluation based on his bio data, the answers he gives us when he is interviewed, and recommendations from past employers. If we hire a person who cannot submit an NBI Clearance which certifies that he or she is not involved in any ongoing criminal case in the Philippines, we should not be surprised if one day he or she is proven to be dishonest. In the last election we elected a President who has not paid his family’s obligations to the country, and has not returned their ill gotten wealth. Can we expect him to be morally upright during his term? Although we condemn his actions, we must never ever condemn him. 

Earl Nightingale said, “When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself.” I think that’s why Jesus emphasized that just as we judge, so will we be judged. Let us make sure that we do not judge others rashly, for as long as a person lives, there is always hope for reform. That is what I am praying for our new President.