Practising non-judgment the Christian way...

Personal leadership begins...with a mirror.
Welcome. This is the teaching website for John Kuypers' work on developing personal leadership. We coach and teach clients to focus on their present moment actions and reactions as a way to see themselves as if in a mirror. This heightened self-awareness leads to positive, self-led growth in maturity, love and wisdom.

Below are ten Bible-based spiritual teachings on Non-Judgment. Please enjoy learning and practicing this little-known Christian teaching. Learn more at THE NON-JUDGMENTAL CHRISTIAN. It will impact the way people treat you...now and for the rest of your life.

Jesus taught that we are not to judge or we will be judged (Mt 7-1). This is not a "command". Rather, it is a spiritual teaching that behaves like the law of gravity. If you jump off a building, you will fall to the ground. If you judge a person, you will be judged by them in return. But we are all free to go ahead anyway, if we so choose.

A paradox occurs with non-judgment. People actually change faster and more willingly when they feel accepted as they are now. Importantly, non-judgment does not mean endorsement. Jesus demonstrated non-judgment many times in the Bible, including with the five times-divorced woman at the well, as well as with the adulteress woman about to be stoned to death (John 8:1-11). Each person laid down their stone freely and willingly, after Jesus acknowledged their behavior without judging them. We impact others to change more rapidly and easily when they feel accepted as they are. The reason is simple. Non-judgment gets others to take responsibility for their actions. Thus, they often have an awakening, sometimes immediately, even if they don't change right away.

So why do people judge us? Indeed, why do we even judge ourselves? Judging gives us a sense of control and superiority which feeds our ego and pride. It is as a way of "pressuring" others or even ourselves to change. To judge is to blame. It is a way to make others responsible for our pain. It is rooted in the fear that if we are responsible, we will be attacked or abandoned. Knowing God loves us unconditionally (He 13:5), we can confidently not judge. Thus, we become neutral, neither endorsing nor condemning others. This immediately changes how we respond to people who are judging, condemning and blaming us. They, in turn will feel the impact in the present moment...right now! We put into action what the apostle John wrote: "Perfect love drives out fear." (1Jn Ch 4)

Practicing non-judgment is a practice, not an academic concept! No one becomes non-judgmental through intellectual study. Rather, you become non-judgmental through noticing when you feel judged and intentionally deciding to not judge the other person BEFORE you respond to them. It is an action that occurs in the present moment! The strongest proof is to look at the life of Jesus himself as a non-judgmental leader. One needs a strong spiritual faith to live in the present. You are trusting that God is in control, so you don't need to let others control you, nor you to control them. On this basis, they make changes freely and willingly in God's timing, and your non-judgmental love will nudge them along. Read the following Biblical teachings on non-judgment:

Here are ten Bible-based teachings on being non-judgmental:

Matthew 7:1-2
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Matthew 7:5
"First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
[The plank is our "judgments". Without judging, we can see "what's important now" to impact others from a place of love and compassion, not fear and control.]

^{John 8:15-16

"You judge by appearances, but I do not
judge anyone. And even if I should
judge, my judgment is valid, because I am not
alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me."
John 12:47

"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not
judge him. For I did not come to
judge the world but to save it."
Luke 6:37

"Do not judge and you will not be
judged. Do not condemn and you will not be
condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."
Romans 2:1

"You, therefore have no excuse, you who pass judgment
on someone else, for at whatever point you judge
the others, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass
judgment do the same things."
Romans 14:10

"You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or
why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's
judgment seat."
Romans 14: 13

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one
another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or
obstacle in your brother's way."

James 2:1-4

My brothers, show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious
Lord Jesus Christ. For if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in fine
clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes
in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Sit
here, please," while you say to the poor one, "Stand there," or "Sit at my
feet," have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become
judges with evil designs?
James 4:12

"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.
But you - who are you to judge your neighbor?"
Source: New
International Version (NIV), copyright by International Bible Society, or NAB
version (John 8:15-16)}

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