Judgment of others is aroused by shared behavior

The behavior I judge in others usually exists unnoticed and unrepented of in myself.

My judgment of others is aroused when their sin resembles my own. The teenager addicted to heroin draws no judgment from my heart, for I do not share the teen’s addiction. But watch how fast ire arises when I see a proud man! His pride is a vivid reminder of my own and, seeing it from outside, his preening attitude not only makes him look foolish, it exposes how ridiculous I appear when I act with pride.

Because I stand condemned when I judge the same behavior I see in others, you might assume I am self-aware of my behavior. This is not the case. Only a diligent search reveals that the behavior I judge is the same I myself partake in. Even direct confrontation may not reveal my case of “pot calling the kettle black.” Like Nathan with David, I may never recognize my own hypocrisy until I condemn another for what I myself practice and have it turned against me ((Anderson, pg. 112)).

While corporations get flack for failure to follow ethical guidelines, I don’t know that the principle works when applied to a group or non-person entity. It does, however, directly impact how supervisors perceive their direct reports.

When Tom the supervisor hired Jim, he was ecstatic about how much work Jim finished in a day. Tom was so impressed that he’d sometimes say to his other direct reports, “Look at Jim - there’s a guy that demonstrates our company’s value for hard work!” Tom would often work long hours himself, sometimes taking his work home and spending his evenings on it. As he gave Jim more work, he noted with pride that Jim would sometimes finish work late at night.

After a few months Tom noticed the number of projects Jim completed were growing fewer. One day he caught Jim watching YouTube videos at his desk. “Jim!” Tom exclaimed with surprise, “what are you doing? Do we pay you to watch YouTube?” Tom was outraged that Jim was slacking off at work, and his perspective of Jim was tarnished.

Later Tom was confronted by Drew. “Tom,” Drew said, “I’ve seen you reading the news at your desk. Why did you jump all over Jim for YouTube when you’re doing the same with the evening news?” Tom was cut to the heart, convicted by Drew’s comparison. Tom saw that not only Jim needed to change, but he did as well.

Confrontation that describes a person’s sin using another person’s circumstances is quite effective, as Nathan’s confrontation with David. Short stories that illustrate behavior indirectly can be a better tool to help people to see their own prejudices in a new light and inspire them to change.

The more I read of the Pharisee’s behavior towards Jesus, the less I’m able to judge them because I recognize the same tendencies in myself. Once I might have been able to judge them, but the Spirit has since pointed out many occurrences when I acted just as proud and envious as they did. When I judge others' behavior at work, my first response should be to look for the same behavior in myself. To look for the plank in my own eye before I call out or try to pluck the speck that’s in another’s eye as Jesus put it (Matthew 7:5).

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