Judgments! We make them all the time. We peruse the food court at the mall before selecting a restaurant to suit our liking. We glance over the menu searching for the delectables to satisfy our taste buds. We gaze into our closet in anticipation of our day or activity before carefully choosing the perfect attire for our occasion. We size up the best cell phone, car, apartment or house to meet our need or budget or more likely, our eye. We flip through the playlist on our ipod, itunes, or cds pausing only when the right song fits our mood.
We live in a menu driven society. We like variety and choice. We push, pick, touch, grab, click our selection. When it no longer meets our needs or becomes boring, we select something else. Our judgments are based on what is appealing or satisfying to us, more specifically, to me. And our judgments aren’t limited to cloths, songs, movies, food or other “stuff.” We extend our judgment making into the realm of people, persons, classes, races, etc.
Since we’re good at making judgments based upon our tastes, likes, whims and standards, it’s easy to cast aspersions onto people. We, in effect, begin to place value and esteem upon others based on our opinion, method of expectation, or appearance. This week my youngest daughter is doing an experiment for her psychology class. She’s dressing as an older woman to determine how people treat her and to gain perspective as an elderly person. My guess is she’ll learn a lot about others and herself.
The hardest judgments to make are about ourselves. Sometimes we’re overly critical of ourselves and sometimes we’re totally blind to ourselves. Sometimes we pass off certain behaviors, thought processes, traits (good or bad) as just who we are. It’s tough to be impartial about us.
The only judgment that really counts is God’s judgment. It doesn’t really matter what or how I think of others or myself. What matters is what God thinks. He looks into our hearts and minds and casts His judgment. It’s easy for many of us to take the attitude of the first man in the parable Jesus tells in this text. We make our own judgment about ourselves in light of ourselves; to which God says, “Get ready for your comeuppance.” God is looking for hearts like the second man in the story who recognizes his (or her) own need for God’s grace and cries out to Him.
God, forgive me for my arrogance. I do make judgments of others’ value based on appearance, status, talents, wealth and giftedness. Help me to see myself through your eyes and help me to see others also through your eyes.
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