• If someone delays answering a letter or fulfilling a commitment,we assume he is avoiding us or evading his responsibilities. Could it be that he's been in the hospital recovering from a serious accident? Could he be overwhelmed by other responsibilities?
  
• If our children do not complete their chores on time, we conclude that they are being disobedient. Could it be that they are secretly wrapping a special present for their mom's birthday? Could they have gotten distracted, and a simple reminder would help?
  
• If an employer fails to give us a raise, we assume she is unappreciative or greedy. Could she be struggling to keep the business goingin the face of increasing competition and operating costs?
  
• If someone at church seems unfriendly, we assume she is proud or aloof. Could it be that she feels awkward and unsure of herself, and is hoping someone will reach out to her?
  
• If the elders do not accept a proposal we make, we conclude that they are narrowminded and do not understand or appreciate our opinions orneeds. Could it be that God is leading them to give priority to a different ministry?
  
• If church members raise questions about policies or new programs, church leaders may conclude that the members are stubbornly unwilling to consider new ideas or stretch themselves to grow. They may even be labeled as rebellious troublemakers. Could it be that they have legitimate insights and concerns that deserve a careful hearing?
  

Judge Charitably

Instead of judging others critically, God commands us to judge charitably. The church has historically used the word "charitable" as a synonym for the word "loving." This has resulted in the expression, "charitable judgments." Making a charitable judgment means that out of love for God, you strive to believe the best about others until you have facts to prove otherwise. In other words, if you can reasonably interpret facts in two possible ways, God calls you to embrace the positive interpretation over the negative, or at least to postpone making any judgment at all until you can acquire conclusive facts.

For example, when Anne's pastor did not visit her in the hospital, she should have realized that there were at least two possible explanations. One was that he was deliberately slighting her. The other was that he had not received her note or had some other valid reason for not visiting her. If she had developed the habit of making charitable judgments, she would have believed the positive explanation until she received facts that showed otherwise. Believing the best about others is not simply a nice thing to do; it is not optional behavior. It is a way to imitate God Himself, and to show our appreciation for how He treats us. God knows everything and judges accurately. He has final say in criticism (and in commendation). Yet He judges charitably, even mercifully, passing over and putting up with many wrongs. He is kind to ungrateful and evil people (Luke 6:35).

Charitable judgments are also an act of obedience to God. As we saw in Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus Himself forbids us to judge others until we have done two things. First, we must take responsibility for any contribution we may have made to a problem. Second, we must make a diligent effort to "see clearly," that is, to accurately understand what someone else has done and why he or she did it. Therefore, whenever we gloss over our own faults, assume facts, speculate on motives, or jump to conclusions about others, we have disobeyed our Lord.

Charitable judgments are also required by Jesus' command in Matthew 7:12, where He sets forth the Golden Rule. "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."How do you want others to judge you? Do you want them to believe good about you instead of evil? To interpret your actions in the best possible way? To really try to understand your side of the story before drawing conclusionsor talking to others about you? If so, Jesus commands that you do the same for others.

Our responsibility to judge others charitably is reinforced by Jesus' teaching on the second great commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself"(Matt. 22:39). Just think of how quickly we judge ourselves favorably! When we are questioned or criticized, our natural response is to explain our actions in the best possible light and make excuses for any perceived wrong. If this is how we are inclined to love ourselves, it is also the way we should love others.

Charitable judgments are also implicit in the Apostle Paul's teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it isnot proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Pay special attention to the last sentence: Paul teaches that love "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." In other words, love always looks for reasonable ways to trust others, to hope that they are doing what is right, and to interpret their words and actions in a way that protects their reputation and credibility. This is the essence of charitable judgments.

Notice that I said we should look for "reasonable ways" to believe the best about others. We are not called to suspend critical thinking in the positive sense or to make judgments that are contrary to clear facts. If we hear someone say something that is patently false or vicious, we can conclude that it is wrong and legitimately confront the speaker. But if we only hear second-hand information or observe an act that could be interpreted indifferent ways, God calls us to withhold judgment and look for a reasonable explanation.

The call to judge others charitably is not something new or novel. It finds its roots in the Ten Commandments and is consistent with hundreds of years of church doctrine. In Exodus 20:16 God says, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." The church has historically interpreted this commandment not only to forbid lying but also to require charitable judgments. Luther's Small Catechism teaches that this commandment means, "We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way."

Similarly, the Westminster Larger Catechism teaches that this commandment requires "preserving and promoting truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor,...a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving,desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering oftheir infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocence; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them...."

Jonathan Edwards, one of America's greatest theologians, thoroughly discussed God's call for charitable judgments in his superb book, Charityand Its Fruits. Drawing on the passages discussed above (Matt. 7; 1 Cor.13), he shows that the Bible condemns censoriousness, which he defines as "adisposition to think evil of others, or to judge evil in them," and commends charitable judgments, which he describes as "a disposition to think the bestof others that the case will allow."

The phrase "charitable judgments" may sound new to many of us today, but the concept itself is rooted deeply in the Word of God and the teaching of the church. Therefore, it should be rooted deeply in our hearts and displayed inour lives.