Stage 7 of 10
Judgment
The wrong begins to become the whole person.
What Can I Do Here?
- 1
Separate what the person did from who the person is. “What you did was wrong” is not the same as “You are nothing but what you did.”
- 2
Listen for the names you have given the person. Selfish. Liar. Failure. Useless. Untrustworthy. Has one word begun to replace the whole person?
- 3
Notice real change when it happens. If the person truly repents and changes, do not insist on seeing only the person who hurt you years ago.
Biblical Truth
James 4:11–12
God is the final Judge. We may call wrong wrong without taking His place over another person.
Luke 6:36–37
Jesus calls His people to mercy and warns against a condemning spirit.
Galatians 6:1
When someone falls, restoration should be pursued gently and humbly.
Put It Into Practice
Instead of saying, “He is ______,” ask, “What did he actually do?” Then ask, “What is true about him now?”
Key Thought
Bitterness first remembers what a person did; later it can make that wrong the only thing we see.