Only God can judge me

by Brother Boniface
(Muensterschwarzach Abbey)

It is such a human trait to talk about others, to judge them and to know how people could do it all so much better. I had to learn a great many things in this regard in the course of my life. Sometimes it was hard to learn and needed several lessons.

As human beings we see just so much, mostly what can be seen on the outside and what can you really see from the outside of a person? Not much. And it can be confusing too.

When I do something I have my reasons for it. It is hard for another to follow my reasoning because we rarely explain it or if so not very well.

I know I have been judged on occasion by others to be aloof, cool, distant and what have you. Yes, I can be all those. When I made the Myers-Briggs test I learned that I am an ISTJ. Meaning introvert, sensate, thinking and judging.

But then the fact does not easily come to light that I can feel very deep in my heart an empathy that goes to the core. Hard then to judge me on the outside only. And I assume when I do not know enough about another person I might tend to misjudge.

So I have learned at long last not to judge. It is important to take the other as he or she is. To accept another persons behavior as it is and not to wish to remake the person in my fashion.

Only God can look into my heart. He knows me full well, my intentions and my hurts and pains as well as my good points. So in the end it means to me that I live my life as best I can and leave the judging up to the Lord for the last day when I will be able to see Him face to face. On the other hand I am happy that other persons will have the same chance that I do.

Wendy: Brother Bon, I am an ISTJ too! I want to retake the test, it was twenty-five years ago when I first took it.. and I wonder if I am different now? If I remember correctly, only 25% of women are ISTJ's and that's me! So surprised to see you know Myer-Briggs too!