Judgement is such a loaded word because we use that one term to cover a lot of ideas.

• Judges sit in courts and preside over legal cases. They often hold the power of life and death in their decisions.
• Pageants and competitions employ judges to decide which contestants are better than others.
• We make judgements in our daily lives about a wide range of things, from what we’re going to wear to what we want to eat.
• And we judge actions that we believe to be right or wrong, whether that’s in our own life or in what we see others do.

Of course, then, we also observe the character of other people and make judgements about whether or not we can trust them. We do not get to judge whether their soul is acceptable to the Lord; only He can do that, and if we tread there we do so at our own spiritual peril. The definition of “judge” we use most commonly is probably more accurately “discern,” and that’s not only acceptable – it’s absolutely necessary for our survival. Can you imagine the chaos that would exist if we all lacked any ability to judge or discern?

I say all of that in advance of answering the question, “Am I a good judge of character?” My response is a humble, “I hope so.” I’ve certainly made mistakes in judgement and trusted people who have betrayed that confidence. But I’ve tried to live wisely and learn from my mistakes, as well as from the wisdom of others. My mother seemed to be a good judge of character, and she also showed a lot of grace, mercy and compassion. I’ve find that when I act more like her, I not only better discern the character of those arms me, but I also tend to show more love to those whose character might be suspect.

Discernment is a gift from God, and I pray that’s one of the things that he’s bestowed upon me. But I always need to remember to keep an air of humility in any decision, judgement or discernment I make, knowing that “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”