Just like getting-or-wanting-my-way is a curse, that I discussed last week.
Analyzing/critiquing/judging is a failed strategy for happiness — a horrible way to live, but it’s so natural for all of us humans, nonChristian AND Christian. We do it unconsciously as we go through our day, looking at this or that, online, TV, people watching….analyzing/critiquing/judging. It’s ADDICTIVE. Easier to get off opiod’s than to get off judging. Judging is mostly internal, not outside-the-cup like gossip, so it’s a respectable sin inside the organized Church, but not inside the Bible. “Judge not and you will not be judged.” You will not be judged BY YOURSELF. YOU are the harshest judge of yourself. Nobody judges others without unmercifully judging self.
So what’s the payoff from judging? Why the buzz? It feels so good to have an opinion about others, to feel superior to another, by noticing any weakness. Dun get much better’n being a professional movie critic, sports critic, political critic. Expert. Ahhh, artificial LIFE. That is…until I need another fix. And I always need another fix.
Miserable way to live, being the harshest judge of myself. Too painful to feel the judgment I have for myself, so the temptation is strong to live in denial of what my harshest critic thinks of me, because I can’t stand being judged a failure along any line.
Judging is a curse. Half the solution is recognizing the problem. Judge, judge, judge, judge all day long. Until I see the impossibility of me NOT judging, I won’t be humble enough to run to Jesus for my identity, forsaking my own feeble attempts at reform, forsaking my need to feel good about myself, forsaking my quest for worthiness of my own. Jesus has been painfully, humiliatingly, growing me by baby steps, at accepting/enjoying myself just as I am — a great example of a bad example. S’wunnerful. I’ve never known such peace, patience, enjoyment of others just as they are. But I’m still a toddler so far. My flesh is a monster.
Confessing helps when I’m aware of judging, and so does repeating over and over throughout my day, “Judging is a curse, but enjoying is a blessing.” Thankfully Gospel-awareness has become foundational to my life over the years, as part of His genius plan. “Grace is for sinners” is woven into the fabric of my soul. I QUALIFY for grace!
— Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, championing Gospel-awareness, self-awareness, and sovereignty-awareness, that we Christians might have something the seculars around us want
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