Own Your Judgements (Week 7)

We all have them: Judgements. Judgements are just opinions. We all make them up in our head. Our brains are created to reason what we see in this way.

Proverbs 28:26 - “Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.”

The Bible warns not to judge—because wisdom protects us. But, then we make assumptions and assumptions cause harm. Trusting our own judgement is in itself foolish. We can however assert judgement (make opinions) with confidence that we are “in the faith” when the heart is in spirit mode (versus flesh) seeking to understand someone. We can discern when we make opinions in the Spirit, as we do it on purpose.

Either way though, flesh or spirit led, you have to own it and bring the opinion or discernment to the surface. Owning your judgement helps you to separate data (what actually happened in a dilemma) from opinion (how I assimilate that data based on my fear, shame, history, personality, circumstances, etc.).

Our own “wisdom” is reactive. Flesh is adaptive and responds in ways that promote survival. That means sin and trauma based reactions occur without God.

Bring judgements to the surface, THEN take them to the Lord for truth. Become aware of them.

Put your thoughts in action. Bring them to your journal and challenge them for what is actually truth. Perhaps you’re in a dilemma with a loved one. What actually happened? What was the scene that a video camera record?

This is the data.

Now it’s time to address the fears and anger and shame that sit underneath your judgements.

Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.

That’s why God tells us to remove our own log before judging. Bringing your thoughts to the surface is examining yourself. You must stop and break down the story you’re creating in your mind about the situation.

Matthew 7:1-5 - “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

He gives us discernment. The Bible wants us to discern and test what is true—which is what we can do when walking in “the faith” or by the Spirit. In my mind, that’s the switch I can flip with a single thought. I “Surrender”.

1 Cor 2:15 (KJV) - “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things...”

A.W. Tozer says: "Among the gifts of the Spirit scarcely one is of greater practical usefulness than the gift of discernment. This gift should be highly valued and frankly sought as being almost indispensable in these critical times. This gift will enable us to distinguish the chaff from the wheat and to divide the manifestations of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit."

We need to discern what is true before treating and solving. God gave us minds for strategy and eyes to see what is needed, if we abide in Him! That’s what prayer does to us.

If you criticize a situation from your flesh, in ignorance, fear or confusion, it may lead to harm or death.

Hosea 4:6 (NIV) - “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

2 Cor 10:7 (NIV) - “You are looking only at the surface of things.”

If you use intention to own your judgement, you can challenge it with truth. You have clarity to “pro-act” versus “react” to the dilemma at hand.

Luke 12:57 (NIV) - "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?"

1 Thes 5:21 (Phi) - "By all means use your judgment, and hold on to whatever is good."

Use proper discrimination. Test your judgements by owning them and examining them.

2 Corinthians 13:5 - “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves…”

John 7:24 - "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

Prov 19:2 (NIV) - It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.

1 Cor 4:5 (Phi) - "The moral of this is that we should make no hasty or premature judgments."

Still not convinced you have a mind of Christ with discernment? Keep reading.

James 1:5 (NIV) - “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given unto him.”

Isa 11:2-3 (NIV) - “The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord--and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears.”

Above all, being spirit led, we must examine our thoughts and judgements (the story I make up) before assuming about others. We can THEN have clarify after this process of purifying our heart.

1 Cor 2:10 (NIV) - “...but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

Thank God for empowering us to do the very thing He asks. This is grace to assertively, be discerningly YOU!