A sign that I am being judgmental is that I get cranky, impatient and focused on the object of my judgment. These toxic thoughts infect my interactions with myself, with God and with all of my relationships, expanding the judgmental spirit and crowding out the compassionate spirit in me.
Our skills of judgment are even more painful when directed at ourselves. These seeds of self-judgment start out as tiny, microscopic germs, and we can hardly trace where we might have picked them up. But these tiny germs of self-judgment grow and join forces with other tiny germs to make us feel in our bones that we are unlovable, lazy, unattractive or dumb. A more loving use of my energy is to let go of my need to be right, accepting Jesus’ way of being with each of us in compassion and grace.
This message is adapted from “Faith reflections: Who are you to judge?” written by Rachel Bass Guennewig that first appeared in the October 2010 issue of Cafe e-zine. Do you enjoy these free Daily Grace messages? If so, donate now to further the ministry.