day 97: Judgment Calls

Wouldn't it be great if everyone at work did everything the way you wanted it done? What utopia it would be to come into the office every morning and know that the day would be arranged exactly to your liking, meetings ran just the way you desired, presentations were created exactly how you would have made the presentation yourself, the schedule took into consideration all of the time off that you needed first, and on and on. But work doesn't work that way. Even when you are the CEO or the boss no one does everything exactly to your liking and specification. How nice that would be, but alas it is not to be. As a co-worker it's the same way. We depend on others and think they will think and act like we would, but they are of independent mind as well and things just get done differently. And when any of this happens and we aren't happy about how someone else approaches a task or issue and things don't go the way that we want them to, we then have to make a decision on what our response will be. I have seen over the years that the approach most often taken is the one that causes the most long term damage. It is to be judgmental of others. It seems easy to speak out and call someone for not doing it like we would have and consequentially tear them down versus building them up. When we are judgmental we are running counter to direction we are given in Luke 6:42: "...How can you think of saying, Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye?" You see, that is the missing secret in all of this. For every judgement we pass on others, there are many that can be passed back to us, but for the grace of God someone has just decided to not so as of yet. A grade-school teacher taught me that when you point your index finger at someone else that at least three of your other fingers are pointing right back at you. 3:1 is not a good ratio. Today when things are not going your way and you have the choice to be judgemental or not think about the call you are about to make. A moment of hesitation before the finger gets pulled out could be the difference between the judgement coming your way the next time or not. And even more so, deciding to not be judgmental of others but instead to find another way to get the point across could be a very important life-moment for the person on the receiving end. The example of how to not be judgemental can be way more powerful than the way that is most easily, and unfortunately, more often taken.


Reference: Luke 6:42 (New Living Testament)