The Difference Between Judgment and Discernment

He cheated on his wife with a much younger employee. She abandoned her newborn baby. He drinks until he beats his children. She manipulates her feminine wiles to get what she wants from men. He took their hard-earned money and then squandered it for selfish motives. She killed him. He raped her. She sells her body for money. He heads up a sex trafficking ring. She molests children. He sells drugs to teenagers…

You might judge all of these people, labeling them as “immoral” or “wrong”. But as I described in my recent article Are You “Spiritual But Not Religious?”, I think spirituality is largely about choosing to withhold judgment, trusting that everyone’s soul is on its own journey, learning what it’s here to learn (and teach), and everyone is entitled to their own journey.

I’m in no way condoning such behaviors, but what if, instead of your judgment, you could perceive these individuals as suffering beings and offer them your love and compassion instead? What if Reverend John Watson was right when he said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle?” What if we all grew our empathy muscles instead of judging?