Ain't judgin'

Thanks to class discussion last week, I’ve been thinking about judgments—particularly those I make of myself.

I am so quick to conclude that I am better than others, or at the very least not quite as wrong. I pride myself on doing the right thing or not being as bad as others. I mean, my gosh, thinking mean thoughts about someone is not nearly as bad as murdering them. I’m actually quite good. If I were Catholic, I may even have problems going to confession every week. What would I say?! That I accidentally let a “what the hell?” slip from my mouth? That I didn’t recycle the spaghetti sauce jar? That I told the little machine I wanted my gas receipt and then I didn't take it? Sorry!

At the same time—which is somehow strangely possible—I am quick to judge myself too harshly. How could God possibly love me? I don’t think my life has been really all that earth-shatteringly exceptional considering the superbly influential lives of millions of others on this planet. I quickly think I’m not pretty enough. Smart enough. Important enough. Etc. etc. etc.

I don’t like thinking that my judgment is skewed, but it so is. And I’d argue that yours is too. We tend to be off the charts in one direction or the other, which probably means we shouldn't be the judges.

We are told that the Lord is our judge (Isaiah 43:22). He will judge the world in righteousness, he will govern the peoples with justice (Psalm 9:8). As judge He tells us that we are sinners, and I feel as though He's gently slapped me on the hand (and rightly so) for thinking I’m not so bad. At the same time, He tells us that in His eyes, we are cooler than cool and more beautiful than any airbrushed model and that He loves us, and I feel Him gently take my hand.