Friday, January 5, 2024
Pause. Pray. Read. Be still. Write. Pray. Go about your day or turn in for the night.
Read: James 4:11-12 The Wisdom of Assessing vs. Judging
There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy.
So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?
(James 4:12, NRSVUE)
Writing annual performance reviews was often a painful chore for me as a new manager. I struggled with whether my judgment of someone’s performance would brand them or hinder their career in the eyes of leadership, especially when giving them a less than stellar overall rating. Fortunately, experience and a wise mentor taught me the difference between judging and assessing.
Assessing states what “is” observable and factual in a neutral and objective manner. A meaningful review values the whole person. It is just that – a review that calls out positive traits and strengths while also seeing the individual’s potential to flourish even more by strengthening certain knowledge or behaviors.
Human judgment, biblically speaking, is more emotional and subjective in nature, based upon personal brand or opinions. Judgment can sweep the whole person under one descriptive word that condemns, stereotypes, or pigeon-holes without regard to where the person brings value. This kind of judging keeps the judge with the upper hand and the recipient below them.
Throughout the Bible, in both the Old and the New Testaments, the wise person assesses but leaves the role of judging reserved for God alone.
Be still and Reflect: To what extent do you allow your biases and preconceived notions determine your evaluation or connection with another? What questions can you ask, or observations can you make that might give you a more balanced view of another?
Pray: Almighty and righteous God, make me mindful of when I am judging others. Help me to not focus on their faults but to see them through the eyes of Your grace. Grant me the humility to love them to Christ and to flourishing in the light of his redemptive love. In the name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.