Judgment

One of the things that is very distorted in our society is the expression "to be judgmental." I do not know how this happened, but most people have the idea that we cannot judge another person. On first look it seems to make sense, but then how can we identify right and wrong actions? Or maybe this concept of judgment is something that actually didn't come from God, but from Satan and has convinced us it's so?

The first question to be asked: Is a judgement the same as a condemnation?

The second question is: Can we make a decision without a judgement?

I can continue, but it will only bring more questions.

The point is that we have to judge, but we cannot condemn. On our Lenten path we have to face this challenging subject. Each one of us must make right decisions about our actions. We must apply the same standards to others and to ourselves. Those standards do not come from us, but from God and His teaching. Only He can show us the ultimate truth and the right direction. The biggest mistake we can make in this case is to have two standards: one for ourselves and one for others.

Lent helps us to make those standards the same. With a humble heart we look at ourselves and at our neighbors through the same lens of God's mercy and justice. We do not judge to condemn, but to help, to raise a person from the darkness of sin. It is Satan that tries to convince us to give up our work of proclaiming the Gospel. For the next few weeks, try to practice judgement that will reflect truth and the mercy of God. Do it towards yourself first and then go and share it with others. The way to win over yourself is to be aware that you are not perfect and you need God to help. Right judgment will help you find the way to do so.