TRADE JUDGMENT FOR DISCERNMENT

Thought Adjuster: “Dear child, human beings are so unique in their genetic and historical backgrounds that no other human being is ever fully qualified to render any judgment pertaining others—as it involves the great risk of being the cause of some serious judicial error.

“Even your Master Jesus did not feel it was His to judge others. He bypassed any judgment by His spontaneous acts of forgiveness. He was moved to do so by both His human and divine compassion. As a human being, He well knew the degree of ignorance His human family was stuck in. Therefore, He made large allowances for the error of their ways—as long as they were not intentional, i.e. iniquitous.

‘Judge not so as not to be judged in kind’ was His constant admonition whenever He witnessed the exhibition of harsh judgment toward others. In such cases, He wisely refrained from judging the perpetrators of such actions; rather, He turned their attention away from the perceived sins of the person they were declaring guilty without being sensitive to his/her attenuating circumstances and encouraged them to turn within. Somehow, such a loving approach made them realize the ‘mirror effect’ that occurs whenever one detects his/her own shortcomings in others.

“Using others as reflectors is actually a very transforming approach. Whenever people suffer from ‘allergic reactions’ to environmental agents, it tells them that they are lacking certain antibodies. The same goes for the strong reactions that are being triggered in human beings whenever they project unto others the very same dysfunctional behaviors that are present within themselves.

“Dear ones, trade judgment for discernment. Discernment is devoid of harsh emotions; it does not hurl stones at others because of their ignorance. On the contrary, it allows for compassion—toward others and toward oneself—as everyone is embarked on the same treacherous waters of life.

“No one will voluntarily turn toward their judge and executioner for advice. However, a friendly and compassionate ear will unlock many lips and be the recipient of many intimate confidences. It is such a rare occurrence to meet the likes of Jesus, who are active and compassionate listeners, devoid of the hidden agenda of turning to their unfair advantage such precious confidences and using them as ammunitions instead of exculpatory factors.

“Dear ones, rejoice in the fact that yours is not to judge others but to love them. Take advantage of challenging situations to develop your ability to love and to intervene on the behalf of less fortunate others. Be their advocate, not their prosecutor; provide them with advice only whenever it is solicited. In the meantime, walk the walk and demonstrate to them that there is another way—a better way—of mastering life adversities. The end result is to gain Mastership over one’s own emotions. This is what Jesus succeeded in doing during the short span of His life. He earned all His human stripes and this is the reason why He is qualified to show the way to those turning to Him for advice.

“By proving that you are trustworthy, you can be the recipient of others’ trust. Too many deceptions have contributed to more and more reluctance to trust and this cycle needs to be broken once and for all by those who make the personal commitment to apply to their own lives the values that they would like to see exhibited in the life of their siblings. Patience is another essential element to that process as the time factor cannot be bypassed in the growth and evolutionary process.”