Beyond Bias: Walking in Discernment, Not Judgment

One of the greatest challenges believers face today is learning how to respond to situations without falling into prejudice, bias, or premature judgment. In a world driven by quick opinions, stereotypes, and emotional reactions, the Christian is called to something higher, deeper, and more spiritually mature.

As believers, we are not called to stand on assumptions. We are called to stand on discernment.

The Difference Between Judgment and Discernment

Scripture clearly teaches that believers must not become judgmental. Jesus Himself warns:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.” — Matthew 7:1

This verse is often misunderstood. Jesus was not forbidding spiritual discernment or wise evaluation. Rather, He was warning against condemning attitudes rooted in pride, self-righteousness, and incomplete understanding.

There is a difference between judgmentalism and righteous judgment.

Jesus later clarifies:

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” — John 7:24

Righteous judgment is not driven by bias, stereotypes, or personal prejudice. It is guided by truth, humility, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Judgmentalism condemns; discernment restores.

The Wisdom of Solomon: Discernment Beyond Assumptions

Consider the famous judgment of King Solomon in 1 Kings 3:16–28. Two women claimed to be the mother of the same child. On the surface, the situation was confusing, emotionally charged, and without clear evidence.

Solomon did not rely on prejudice or external appearances. Instead, he sought divine wisdom and discernment.

His decision revealed the truth hidden beneath the claims, exposing the real mother not through accusation but through insight into human nature guided by God’s wisdom.

This demonstrates a vital principle: godly discernment looks beyond surface narratives and seeks divine insight.

Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery: Breaking the Cycle of Condemnation

Perhaps one of the most powerful examples of righteous discernment is found in John 8:1–11, where a woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus. The religious leaders had already judged her. They had categorized her, condemned her, and were ready to execute punishment.

Their perspective was shaped by legalism and bias.

Jesus, however, responded differently.

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” — John 8:7

Jesus did not deny the reality of sin. He did not approve wrongdoing. Yet He refused to reduce the woman to a stereotype or define her entirely by her failure.

Instead of condemnation, He offered transformation:

“Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” — John 8:11

This is the heart of God. Truth without condemnation. Correction without humiliation. Justice tempered by mercy.

The Enemy as Accuser vs. God as Redeemer

Scripture describes Satan as:

“the accuser of our brethren” — Revelation 12:10

The enemy thrives on accusation, labeling, and condemnation. He points to patterns of failure to define identity. He uses past actions to trap people in hopelessness.

We see this pattern even in the story of Job, where Satan sought to frame Job through accusation rather than truth (Job 1–2).

God’s approach is fundamentally different. While He reveals sin, His objective is restoration, not destruction.

Righteous Judgment vs. Condemnation

The Bible calls believers to exercise spiritual maturity:

“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” — 1 Corinthians 6:2–3

This does not authorize harsh criticism or moral superiority. Instead, it emphasizes the responsibility of discernment guided by God’s wisdom.

Righteous judgment:

• Seeks understanding before conclusions.

• Is led by the Holy Spirit.

• Focuses on restoration rather than punishment.

• Recognizes that only God sees the full picture.

Judgmentalism, however:

• Labels people permanently by their failures.

• Operates from pride or emotional reaction.

• Seeks to condemn rather than redeem.

God’s Desire: Redemption, Not Destruction

While humanity often approaches justice from a legalistic standpoint, looking for patterns to justify punishment, God’s heart is different.

Scripture reminds us:

“The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9

God’s dealings with humanity are not designed primarily to condemn but to call people into transformation and newness of life through Christ.

Even correction from God is redemptive:

“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” — Revelation 3:19

His goal is always restoration.

Living This Out as Believers

So how should we respond in our daily lives?

1. Reject assumptions and stereotypes.
   Each situation deserves prayerful discernment.

2. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
   Human wisdom alone is insufficient.

3. Balance truth and grace.
   Do not excuse sin, but never abandon mercy.

4. Remember your own need for grace.
   Humility guards against judgmentalism.

5. Focus on restoration.
   God’s heart is always toward redemption.

Conclusion: Walking in the Mind of Christ

As believers, we are called to reflect the heart of Christ in how we perceive others. We must move beyond bias, beyond quick conclusions, and beyond condemnation.

Discernment sees beyond actions into potential. Grace refuses to imprison people in their past. Wisdom listens before speaking.

When we walk in the Spirit, we begin to see people not through the lens of human judgment but through the eyes of God, who is continually working to redeem, restore, and renew.

REPLENISH THE EARTH

 

                                 image from:https://www.laurelheights.org/sermons/replenish-the-earth/

REPLENISH THE EARTH

Date: 3^rd September, 2023

Gen. 1: 27-28: So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…….

Gen. 9: 1: And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Gen 1: 22: And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth.

Replenish is a verb that implies a restorative action. Replenish means “To make something full again” (Replenish verb – Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation and Usage Notes / Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com, 2023).

Our God is a God that is particular about restoration and our actions towards achieving restoration. Even God himself said “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25, KJV). God’s intention for the earth through man, was that as man exudes his dominion over the earth and as he consumes of the earth, he should also engage in replenishment of used resources both directly or by engagement in activities that would engender replenishment.

Many environmental advocacy groups promote the value of sustainable use of the earth’s resources. This ideology is not man-made, but God infused in the consciousness of man.

All the problems of the world and all the problems that man faces are a consequence of our disobedience of God’s commands and His ordinances. The impacts of our depletion of natural resources and extinction wild-life are having far-reaching consequences on the earth, our eco-system and our very existence; which is not the plan and thought of God for Human-kind and the world.

Often times, we tend to focus on the procreation aspect of God’s command without balancing it out with the replenishment of the earth-aspect. As man-kind is expanding and growing in population, we are using up more and more of the earth’s resources without compensating-back at a commensurate level. This certainly does not bode well for man or the earth, its eco-system and all creatures/creature that exists within its system.

As believers and obedient children of God we need to intentionally engage in restorative actions such as tree-planting, proper disposal of non-biodegradable waste, wild-life restoration activities and other sustainability practices.

It is never too late to start! May God help us as we obey His command.

Reference(s)

“Replenish Verb - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation and Usage Notes | Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com.” Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com, 2023, www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/replenish#:~:text=%E2%80%8Breplenish%20something%20(with%20something. Accessed 3 Sept. 2023.

 

MOMENTS OF TRIAL AND DIFFICULTY

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Isaiah 43:2 when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isaiah 40: 31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

The promises of God in Isaiah 43:2 are very instructive indeed. The assurances are not that we will not pass through the waters or walk through the fire! It can indeed be deduced from the scripture that it is a given that we will pass through these moments. The guarantees we do have are that:

1.         He will always be with us

2.         That the rivers will never overflow us

3.         We shall not be burnt by the fire nor the flame kindle upon us.

We have a guarantee of God’s presence. The importance of God’s presence with us can never be overemphasized. That is why Moses said in Exodus 33:15-16 And he said unto him, if thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

From the scripture above, it is evident that Gods presence is a mark of His GRACE upon a life. Secondly, it is mark reserved for Gods people. When the presence of God is around a life, darkness can never come near such a life. They may swirl around at a distance but never will they be able to permeate such a life. John 1:5 says, And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. The Dark ones can never comprehend a life that has Gods presence for God himself is light. Proverbs 4:18 says, the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The presence of the lord with a life is the one that brings forth this shining light on the path. This is evidenced in the life of Moses and the entire nation of Israel in Exodus 13:21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:. The presence of the Lord with the Israelites provided light in different forms by day and night! This light firstly provided vision and secondly it waded of darkness – which is the enemy. A life with Gods presence can never be penetrated by the enemy irrespective of whatsoever is going on around Him. This assurance is given in Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall come nigh thee. Turbulences might be happening all around, but a believer will not be shaken and this is as the Psalmist says in Psalm 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.

The scripture is replete with events where Gods presence calmed the rage of the enemies heading at Hos children. Two instances will be looked at here. The first instance being the 3 Hebrew children Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego. Gods was present with them in the fire and just as the promise in Isaiah 43:2, the fire neither burnt them nor was it kindled upon them. This can be seen in Daniel 3. In the new testament, there was raging storm all around the boat that had Jesus and the Disciples in, His presence with them was a guarantee that no matter how raging the storm was, the river was never going to overflow or overwhelm them and this is clear from Jesus’ statement after he had rebuked the storm in Mark 4:40 And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? It was recorded that the storm beat upon the ship. This shows us that the enemy will rage, will also try to rock our faith, but irrespective of whatever it is that is thrown at us, Gods assurances still hold true.

Finally if we remain steadfast and wait on the Lord through the difficult and trying moments we are sure to mount up with wings as eagles. We are sure to exceed all expectations, we are also sure to go way beyond our limitations! This assurance is given in Isaiah 40:31. The trying moments are simply moments of refinement! That’s why God allows us to go through them, yet while going through them he assures us of His presence with us.

ESSENCE OF FELLOWSHIP

The common conception on the minds of many after taking a look at the topic, would possibly be that the article is anchored on the scripture as written in Hebrews Chapter 10 verse 25: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another: and so much more, as ye see the day approaching. The accuracy of that allusion will be left to you to find out, by reading through the articleJ!

This article is inspired by a statement I heard some time back, upon which I began pondering on. Someone recently said/implied that it was okay to miss church for work, also further stating that carrying out the work in view, is also service to God! This really got me thinking.

 I will issue a brief CAVEAT before proceeding; this article is not meant to debate on whether it is right or wrong to skip church when work calls. The choice is left to the individual believer, as Christianity is based on conviction. It is my firm believe that having the Holy Spirit always directing us, we would know when we are taking a misstep. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I will like to proceed.

The essence of this article is to actually define the primary reason for attending church or fellowshipping with the brethren. In the digging deep manual (501 – 600) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), in the treatment of the second part of the topic – The army of the Lord, the second outline was captioned “the soldiers of the cross have a three-fold assignment.” The three fold assignments of a believer were outlined thus, i.) A ministry to God. ii.) A ministry to one another and finally iii.) A ministry to the world. This article serves to disambiguate the minds of many regarding the essence of fellowship.

A quick deviation is necessary at this point. Making reference to the preceding paragraph, three key statements will be made. Our ministry to God involves our personal relationship with God. This is a personal ministry and not a collective one, implying that it is essentially centred on our 'alone time' with God. Building a relationship with God is the primary focus of this ministry (James 4:8).  Second sentence goes thus, the ministry to the world centres around our interaction with the ‘world.’ World here referring to unbelievers. This is where our work/jobs and how we go about it comes into view. We are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13 - 14). Therefore, we are meant to be examples in how we live, how we work, how we talk and in every other way. Finally, the Ministry to one another is where fellowship comes into view and this is the focus of this article.

In the first scripture earlier quoted (Hebrews 10 verse 25) we see here that we minister to one another when we fellowship. Fellowship is an avenue for believers to minister to each other; be it in prayer, in edification, moral and financial support. It was in fellowship that the earliest Christians were able to meet the needs of each other with what they had sold (Acts 2: 42 – 47). There is no denying that in fellowship we also serve God, but primarily fellowship serves the ministry of believers to one another. The scripture says in Proverbs 27 verse 17 that iron sharpeneth iron. It is in fellowship that we sharpen each other. It is also in fellowship that the sick are prayed for by the elders (James 5:14).

The above stated is why fellowship is important. What we get in fellowshipping we can’t get in our closet. The testimonies of the brethren also help strengthen our Faith whenever we are in doubt or in our low moments due to prevailing circumstances. It is therefore necessary that to state categorically that your personal devotion cannot be traded for fellowship neither can your service to the world (be it through your work or otherwise)! Stay blessed.

Image gotten from: http://www.trianglepc.org/fellowship/

IN THE FULLNESS OF (HIS) TIME……….

Galatians 4 verse 4:               But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law.

Ephesians 1 verse 10:            That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him: (Read verse 9)

Ecclesiastes 3 verse 11:          He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

On this fateful evening after a game of tennis upon closing from work, I was in the kitchen doing the dishes from earlier in the day, in preparation to put my dinner upon the cooker before dashing off to the shower; right then, it came to me just like an epiphany: “God will  answer all prayers within his will in the fullness of time”

Going back memory lane to around noon of the very same day, I was pondering albeit audibly to the hearing of my colleague at work and I said thus (para-phrase); “some people are quite fortunate with everything working out for them while I keep praying and praying without any remarkable changes.” My colleague answered me in this manner (para-phrase): “don’t think like that, else you will stop praying. All you need do is keep praying for God’s mercy.” The statement I made is one I believe that very many of us have had a point in our lives, even if we don’t air it.

This evening’s similitude of an epiphany that I earlier referred to seemed a perfect response to my thoughts which I voiced out earlier on in the day. This got me pondering and pushed me deep into thought.

After reflecting on the issue at hand, I have come to realise that God has truly answered my prayers albeit in the fullness of his time and not within my (carnally) predetermined framework and timeline.

One particular requests comes to mind quite vividly. Sometime in 2015, due to a sequence of events, I felt that some individuals had certain misconceptions due to misinformation (or probably one-sided representation) about my role in the events. I earnestly prayed that God should change any misconception and change every negative impression about me. I prayed and I prayed, but alas, things seemed to be spiralling out of hand. Then I relented, thinking – oh well!!!!! It was only this evening (when the year 2016 is fast counting down. Over a year past the period) that I realised that “in the process of time” from then till now, God had done marvellously well! It is just like an illumination had taken place in the minds of all involved and the truth imprinted on their minds. There are several other requests and answers that could be recounted, but I have decided that this singular one would suffice.

In the book of Ephesians 1 verse 9 quoted above, it is evident that the will of God, which is a mystery to the world (verse 8) has been revealed to his Children. The fact that the mystery is revealed doesn’t mean it will come to manifestation instantly. It takes a process which involves time and hence I refer to it as “the process of time.” This is a key distinction between MAGIC and MIRACLES! God is a “God of order”, he detests chaos.

In Isaiah 9 verse 6 the coming of Christ was already foretold: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be……” but it was only in the “fullness of time” as stated in Galatians 4 verse 4 that the promise was made manifest.

This is a clear message of hope to help build Faith in the brethren.

We are assured of testimonies and good news (Jeremiah 29 verse 11) for God’s plans towards us a good to meet an expected end. No wonder the scripture says in Proverbs 23 verse 18: “For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut-off.”

The scripture makes us realise that God holds his word to the highest regard (Psalm 138 verse 2, Isaiah 55 verse 11), therefore we need not fret for a shout of joy is assured! WHAT GOD SAYS, IS THAT WHICH HE WILL SURELY DO!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance!!

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WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

Exodus Chapter 4 Verse 2 – “And the Lord said unto him, What is in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

Our God is an all-powerful God, a God capable of creating from absolutely nothing! But yet He still abides by certain tenets or may I say codes. He doesn’t just act because he can act, the scriptures in Psalm 138 verse 2 says as much: “……… for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name”. This in itself shows that God abides strictly to his utterances despite the fact that he is accountable to no one. God is a God of orderliness, he sets rules and laws to govern the universe and he ensures that they are adhered to fully. A display of this, is the way God has granted man the ability to make decisions of his own volition; this is the gift of free-will. He is the creator and can very well impose his wishes on us and in my opinion, that is his prerogative! If we are in doubt of the preceding statement, we need not look farther than man and his inventions. Man creates for certain purposes and he dictates that the purpose be explicitly and unconditionally met, but God (though he) created man to fear him and keep his commandment as can be seen in Ecclesiastes Chapter 12 Verse 13, (God) doesn’t impose it on us to do this, rather he has given the power to choose. No wonder the scriptures says in Deutronomy 30 Verse 15: “see, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;” Even Adam and Eve had this free will! For they could either decide to obey God and abstain from the forbidden fruit or disobey and do otherwise; as we all know, they did the latter. Joshua brought the Israelites to the realisation of this in Joshua 24 verse 15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve………….”

It is quite pertinent to note that God desires to use tools – you and me – to execute his plans and desires and this is inspite the fact that he doesn’t actually need us to achieve anything. The scripture in Luke 19 verse 37 - 40 says he could raise stones even if the disciples were to hold their peace (that is, stop praising him during the triumphal entry). When God wants to use a man or work with a man, he always start out with what he possesses. Dr. D.K. Olukoya once said that God will only start with what is in your hands before he advances to what you seek. The story of the talents is an apt illustration of this. They had to make use of what was in their hands before God gave them more! Another illustration of this, is from the text where we saw how God used what Moses had – the rod – to perform many great signs and wonders. Looking through the book of Judges Chapter 6 verse 11- 14, we see the call of Gideon and it is quite interesting to note that in verse 14 the Lord told Gideon to go in this his might! Implying that God was going to make use of what Gideon already had. Similarly we can also look at the widow of one of the sons of the prophet whom God through Elisha multiplied oil for the repayment of all her husbands’ debt. We can go on and on citing biblical examples to this effect.

It is now so clear why Jesus said in Matthew 17 Verse 20 that with Faith as little as a grain of mustard seed you shall say unto this mountain, remove yourself to yonder place and it shall remove. This is simply stating a fact that nothing is too little for God to use! The key is that you must identify the “little” and make use of it. God wants something in you to work with. It is in fact a given that all God needs is something little; that little input, that little commitment then he will multiply it. The scripture says in Isaiah 42 verse 8 I (God) will not give my glory to another. So when God is out to achieve something great with or through a man he ensures that he produces output/results from an impossible situation given what is available at hand! Gideon’s case is an example of this. God cut down the number to 300 men and used that inconsequential number to win great victories. God did something similar when with just shouts, a highly fortified city was left exposed due to the crumbling of their walls. No wonder the scripture says in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 27 I will use the foolish things of this earth to confound the wise. It is no wonder that God seems to root for the underdog. Throughout the scripture, God seemed to have a penchant for bringing men from obscurity to do mighty things. If we are in doubt, I will list a few: David, Jepthah, Gideon, Ruth, the Apostles and so many more. I now wonder if the words in Psalm 118 verse 22 which says the rejected stone has now become the cornerstone, is further backing to this allusion.

The onus therefore lies with us from now on going forward to identify what we have in our hands, use it and let God multiply it especially for his (God’s) work and ask God to takeover and do the rest, that all glory might be given back to him because of the mighty works he will do through you which would have been otherwise impossible without him.

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DEALING WITH THE CRITICAL NATURE

Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 1-3:   ¹Judge not that ye be not judged. ²For with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

John Chapter 3 Verse 17: For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world

through him might be saved.

John Chapter 12 Verse 47:  For if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

1 Corinthians Chapter 6 Verse 2-4:  ²Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? ⁴If then ye have judgements of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

Having read through the above quoted scriptures, one might say the fourth (last) scripture quoted looks out of place with rest and possibly opposes/negates the message being pushed forward by the first three scriptural texts. Upon deliberate study and meditation on the scriptures, it is clear that this is not so! And this is part of the reasons for this article. May the Holy Spirit grant us understanding of God’s word in Jesus name (Amen!!!).

Now, going back to the title of this article and in particular the bolded word therein: CRITICAL. Critical in the context of this article is in reference to the negative aspect of this tendency in the quintessential reality, both in Christendom and outside of it, but with more emphasis on the brethren within the faith. The critical nature referred to in the context of this article borders on (but it is not limited to) cynicism which itself exudes (or gives out) a negative energy.

The key difference between the first three scriptures above and the fourth one, is the nature of the judgement being doled out. Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:2-4, was referring to a good type of judgement. This type of judgement is one that aims to correct, and brings about a CONVICTION towards a wrong-doing. This type of judgement brings about a positive change in lives, and thus, this is not the focus of our discourse in this article. On the other hand, the first three scriptures point at judgement that tends towards condemnation and is thus accusatory in nature. This type of judgement is often tailored towards putting down others. It is often borne out things like self-righteousness, hate, pride, and generally things that are not part of the fruit of the Spirit. This judgement is often self-serving. The sort of judgement apostle Paul refers to in the fourth scripture quoted above, is borne out of Love: Love for God, Love for the Kingdom, and Love for the brethren. The focal point of this type of judgement is the three fold ministry assignment (with reference to RCCG digging deep manual 501 - 600, page 7, the army of the Lord part 2) namely; Ministry to God, ministry to the brethren and ministry to the world. This type of judgement is sacrificial in that;

1. It serves God’s interest rather than our interest by promoting his ideals and will over ours

2. It serves the interest of the brethren, by promoting positive change in their lives towards re-aligning them with God and strengthening their standing in Christ, rather than putting ourselves in the good books of particular individuals possibly for recognition and favours.

3. It serves the world, by setting a positive example of how we were/are intended to live (from the onset) in God’s master plan, thus, it serves to draw them into the fold.

The devil is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation Chapter 12 Verse 10). Criticism and judgemental tendencies are his tasks-at-hand. Imbibing such is carrying out his mandate and bidding, thus, making one possibly his agent (though unwittingly in most cases).

David’s life will give us further insight into this subject matter. We will take a look at his life, first as a follower/subordinate and then as a Leader.

AS A SUBORDINATE/FOLLOWER

He never criticised his leaders, namely; King Saul, even though he had cause to. No wonder the scripture admonishes us to pray for those that are in authority (1 Timothy Chapter 2 Verse 1-2). It is interesting to see David’s response to Saul upon Saul’s attempt on his life in 1 Samuel 24. Paying attention to verse 9 – 16, we see David’s direct utterance to Saul. He depicted the kind of judgement in 1 Corinthians 6:2-4 and in verse 16 we clearly see that Saul was pricked in his heart and he realised his wrongdoing. A lot doesn’t need to be said about what transpired between David and King Saul. Reading through 1 Samuel Chapter 24 – 28 will give a clear understanding of this.

AS A LEADER

David as leader wasn’t critical rather he offered correction where the need arose. A clear case of this can be seen in 1 Samuel Chapter 30 Verse 16 – 31. His response to the men who felt that those who remained behind in the battle against the Amalekites shouldn’t partake in the sharing of the spoils, is a clear example of what is being discussed here.

1 Samuel 30 verse 23-24: ²³ then said David, ye shall not do so my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. ²⁴ For who will hearken unto you in this matter? But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.

The tone and intent with which the message was passed is clear to see. He didn’t do it out of high-handedness and he made sure they all saw the reason behind his choice.

The fruits of the critical nature are murmuring, back-biting, gossiping, sarcasm and the likes. One of the fruits borne out of LOVE is CORRECTION, for whom you love you correct. Correction is supportive, understanding and patient.

We should also take a cue from Jesus’ style.

The story of Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) as well as that of Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42) are prime examples of what is really expected from us as believers on this issue of judgement. What would have happened if Christ had gone all out condemning is best left to the imagination. Jesus never condemned them nor rubbed their misdeeds in their face, but at the end they were convicted of their misdeeds.

How do we do away with this nature?

1.       Watching our Conversation:  I Corinthians chapter 15 verse 33 – Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Communication these days transcends one on one conversation, it as well includes the kind of information from the news outlets and media (both conventional and social media) platforms, musicals and the likes. The issue of condemnation and critical tendencies has become the trend everywhere, and it becomes quite easy to get sucked into this trend. As a result, we now – more than ever – have to be very circumspect in our reactions and what we act upon as well as being overly selective on what we let in. to a large extent, we need to withdraw ourselves from the negative influences.

2.       Modelling Ourselves after Positive Biblical Characters: The bible is filled with numerous role models after which we can model ourselves. It is a given that we need not look beyond these biblical champions of our Faith starting from Abraham, David, Daniel, Jesus, Peter and numerous others. Taking a deliberate study of their lives and how they went about issues of the Faith will provide us with a navigational guide.

3.       Be slow to speak: We need to constantly evaluate our words before they are spoken. Start evaluating each word carefully before speaking. The scripture says in Matthew Chapter 15 verse 11: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. The tongue is a little member of the body, but if bridled, the entire body will put under control (James 3:2).

4.       Pray for Empathy: Empathy, enables us to put ourselves in the shoes of others and consider the circumstances that led them to where they are. It helps us get a glimpse of what and how they are feeling.

Note: Empathy doesn’t lead us into endorsing or justifying their actions but rather, it leads us into helping them from a standpoint of understanding rather than high-handedness or self-righteousness.

In all, we need to come to the realization of the uniqueness and individuality of every one. We should thus, avoid comparison and embrace uniqueness. We need to consciously resist the urge to criticize and overtime it will become natural.

We also need to limit ourselves to facts and certainties. Try as much as possible to do away with assumptions, presumptions and second-guessing.

This article is by no means exhaustive, and additional input, in form of contributions and corrections will be greatly appreciated. Thanks and God bless us all!!!!

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