I Hear You
🌎The World Before the Word
A couple of riddles about the same thing—
I do not need a courtroom,
yet I can make a person stand trial.
I may come dressed as truth,
or merely as opinion with sharp edges.
Some wield me to control,
others fear me when none was intended.
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I can be spoken without a word,
felt without a touch,
and feared without a punishment.
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I arrive when no sentence is spoken.
I am felt before I am named.
I can close a heart,
even when no demand was made.
What am I?
The Old Reflex
We’ve trained ourselves to flinch at clarity.
The moment someone speaks with conviction, something in us tightens—
“Don’t judge me.”
But not everything spoken is a verdict.
Sometimes it’s just a window.
Sometimes we have a hard time speaking our minds, this is the quiet punishment of this word. The version that makes us hide in fear. “Fear of…”
Sometimes we speak it loudly, before wisdom anchors us. This version is the one that creates chaos, anger, and disunity. “Fear my…”
Then there is the kind that that is offered in love. “let’s talk”
The word?
Judgement
🌿The new Covenant Posture
Judgment is a four letter word in the old way of thinking.
It’s often formally applied in courtrooms
Other times it is offered in hate.
The new thinking transforms the word judgment into discernment.
We must “discern” right and wrong. Or even “that color or this one”.
We should discern whether a scripture was read in the appropriate setting.
What we never do is “discern” who or what a neighbor is— that we leave to God.
Discernment is a moment of clarity, with the possibility of being wrong.
And clarity creates space—
for others to grow,
for God to move,
and for your soul to remain unburdened.
We should not be afraid to speak our opinion, yet we often are.
It’s not judgment—it's my request to be heard without expectation of action.
Judgment says: “This must change.”
Discernment says: “This is what I see.”
One reaches to control.
The other simply reveals.
And yet—
we often treat them the same which makes us all afraid to speak up when perhaps we should.
📜 The Word
“…then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.”
📖 Proverbs 2:5
“To answer before listening—that is folly and shame.”
📖 Proverbs 18:13
“or the word of God is alive and active… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
📖 Hebews 4:12
This is powerful because it places true judgment outside of us. As humans we are observers, speakers, and discerners but I prefer to allow God be the only one who actually judges
“I can speak what I see—but I’m not the final authority.”
🤵 Pastoral Word
Sometimes what we call “judgment” is actually the discomfort of being seen.
Truth has a way of pressing gently—not to crush, but to uncover. Healthy humans should be able to hold conviction without controlling others and hear conviction without feeling attacked
What if we became people who could:
Hear without defending.
Speak without controlling.
Disagree without dividing.
What if being seen didn’t feel like being sentenced? i ask because I sometimes choose not to speak for fear of your judgment, which in itself is a judgment of you AND myself. It takes both of us to break that cycle.
Judgment demands change.
Discernment reveals truth.
Love speaks anyway—and lets you choose.
I hear it often, “I’m trying not to judge” and my thought is “oops, too late”. BUT, often your judgement is simply discernment, and your statement is your way of creating the safety net of not putting yourself in the line of fire. Your ability to speak your opinion, your “judgment” is an opportunity to for growth and wisdom. We need only recognize the proper marker of speaking about our judgment in ways that are grounded in love… for example:
Control: “You should…” begets resistance
Conviction: “I believe…” begets tension
Invitation: “What do you see?” offers openness
Judgment speaks to correct. Discernment speaks to reveal. Wisdom listens before it reacts.
🙏 Let's Pray
You are not called to carry the weight of proving yourself today.
You are invited to walk—steady, aware, and aligned.
May your steps reflect more than intention.
May they carry the quiet strength of humility.
Where you encounter people,
may justice guide your actions—
not harshly, but clearly.
May kindness shape your responses,
not as obligation,
but as something you genuinely choose.
And as you move through the day,
may you remain aware of God’s presence—
not distant, not abstract,
but near and steady.
You don’t need to manufacture meaning.
You are living it, step by step,
as your life aligns with Him.
So go forward with clarity, not confusion.
With purpose, not pressure.
🔥Carry this With You Today
I receive what God aligns without trying to control it.
