When We Meet Others

“Hello, my name is John, what’s your name?”

“Joe”.

“Nice to meet you Joe, how are you?”

“Fine”

“Good”.

How many times have you and I been introduced to some one and experienced the same kind of scenario that I just presented? I would say…about a thousand times, provably many more.

What happened when we were introduced to someone? It is said that we make a judgment within a few seconds of meeting someone else. Yes, a few seconds.

If I ask you if you had made a judgment about that person you just met, you would provably say no. It is a fact proven by countless surveys and studies by psychologist that we do indeed make judgments. It is in the way we were brought up. It is a defense mechanism that we all engage in all the time. When I look at a television program, I cannot help but to make a judgment as to whether or not I will like the program and even the actors.

If I meet a man or woman for a job interview, I am being judged by that person as to whether or not I have the qualification they’re looking for and if they believe that I will fit into the corporate structure of the company. I sit there doing the same to them. It is a fact of life.

One of the things that we are judged on more than anything else is our religious beliefs. It seems that it only takes a few minuets for person we have just met to start to talk about religion and inquire about our personal beliefs. “My beliefs are mine I say”. The other person, if a “born again Christian,” will further his/her inquiry even more not wanting to abandon the subject. How many times has that happened to you?

I would say that being judged by others is so natural that we just cannot help ourselves. That is one reason that I get a little upset when I talk to people. I want my idea and beliefs to be mine and not be judged for them. However, as you know, it happens all the time.

Is there anything that we can do about it? I don’t think so. Even if I myself try not to judge, I do. The Bible says “Math 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.” And if you are going to judge than as it says in John 7:24: “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." Something we all do. It becomes an almost impossible for anyone to live by these two verses of the Bible because our way of judging is really a defense mechanism that directs our actions towards others. This does not mean that we can at least try. We must.

The reason for the title of this article is because it seems that we are Christian when we want to be and non-Christians at all other times. Oh you say! Yes it is true none the less. We are Christians when it suits us, and non-Christian when it suites us as well. I know a man who always ends his prayers with “In the name of Jesus.” This would indicate to most Christians that here is a man who is a real Christian. Just because we use those words to end a prayers does not mean anything. We could as well end our prayer with in the name of “Bromo Shave.” It would have the same meaning to us because we have already judged that person as being a non-Christian; a person who just goes through the motions of a Christian.

Everything that we do has strings attached to them. Our friendships, our marriage, the work we do for others, the people we come into contact with. You say to me “didn’t you just say that we all judge others all the time?” Yes I did and that is why I say that we all have strings attached to everything we do in life. You and I do also. The above was just an example I used here, (real or factious, you decide).

Like you, I am tired of being judged by others and I have done everything that I can think of to make the changes in my life so that I judge in the proper way as described in the Bible, I hope that you will also.