Life is a series of judgment calls, big and small. "Is my colleague telling me the truth?" "Can I believe this advertiser's claims?" Nearly every day you have to pass judgment on some situation, and your opinions and decisions often have consequences for the other people involved. The stakes may not be as high or the judgment as final, but like a magistrate in the judicial system, your judgment matters.
God once said to his critics, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24). What is righteous judgment? It is judging fairly and honestly, applying the right rule to that particular situation and sometimes looking beyond the "facts" to see the hearts and true intentions of those involved.
Before passing judgment it's important to remain impartial and get all sides of the story. The better informed you are, the better chance you will have of judging correctly.
And of course it's always wise, even in seemingly small matters, to talk it over before passing on judgment. Remember, that God is the great all -seeing, all-knowing judge who will judge the world at the end of days.
