Judge Not, That Ye Be Not Judged

"Judge not, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1). We shouldn't judge not just because at some far off future date we will be judged by the Lord, although this will happen. We shouldn't judge because we will be judged right now. By ourselves. When we get into a judgemental mindset, then we start to notice everything that is wrong or off or less than perfect. There's so much that is wrong that this can quickly become exhausting. But it gets worse. It stands to reason that we find faults more readily with the people to whom we are closest and with the people with whom we spend the most time. And who is closer to us and who do we spend more time with than ourselves? By choosing to judge, the person we will judge most often and most harshly will be ourselves. However, the flip side, thankfully, is also true. If we instead choose to look for the positive in others, to give them the benefit of the doubt, to forgive and love them unconditionally, then we will create a nurturing, empowering environment not only for those around us but also for ourselves. Judgment shrinks our souls. It narrows our focus until all we can see is flaws, especially in ourselves. Forgiveness expands our souls. If we can learn to forgive others for their mistakes, then we can learn to forgive ourselves for our mistakes. If we judge, we will be judged. If we forgive, we will be forgiven. It's as simple as that.