The reason I decided to conduct a group call on this subject, is because I hear so many students express their confusion about how to “live the law of allowing”. They get confused about how they can make choices for their life, but also allow other people to be who THEY are. They have a tendency to equate “being allowing” with not “judging” others, so they end up feeling guilty when they even attempt to discern if they want a certain person in their life! They think they are required to accept everyone in their life experience, even if they don’t like choices that person makes! THAT is the impetus for this article, and for this group call….
First, let’s briefly discuss the second universal law, The Law of Allowing. Simply put, the law of allowing says, “Since everybody gets to create their life how they want it to be, I have to let them! Also, I get to allow myself to create my life the way I want it to be! This also means that I must allow people to experience the consequences of that which they have attracted, without my resistance. AND I have to allow myself to experience the consequences of that which I have attracted, without resistance.”
The Law of Allowing is primarily about not being controlling of others, and also about not being resistant to others! It does not in any way prevent us from being able to make CHOICES about what, or who, we want in our lives!
Many people wonder, then, how they handle allowing their children, who are making choices the parents don’t like. Basically, I would ask you to consider this question, as the answer; Is it your house? Is it, then, your life? You DO get to make decisions about your own life, and THAT is not at all judgmental! THAT is discerning whether or not something will assist you in accomplishing the creation of the life YOU want! Judgment, on the other hand, is an assessment of the condition of the other person’s intention, and that has nothing to do with your decisions for yourself.
Judgment is of the egoic mindfield, and discernment is divine. Discernment differs from judgment in that discernment knows ONESELF, and that which is beneficial to Oneself. Judgment requires perception, and perception is not knowing. Judgment therefore, is more assessing the perceived “other”, rather than proceeding with that which serves the subject One.
“Good thoughts are great, but they do not detour us from the work of looking at the illusions and giving it no value.” –Joan Jones, a teacher of A Course in Miracles
“The Universal Power never judges or criticizes us”, says Loiuse L. Hay in her book, You Can Heal Your Life.
1 Cor 2:15 (KJV) But he that is spiritual judgeth all things… (In this case, the meaning is “discernment”.)
Matt 7:1 (KJV) “Judge not, that ye be not judged…” (This meaning is criticism)
At first glance, these appear to be contradictary!
• F.F. Bruce: “Judgment is an ambiguous word, in Greek as in English: it may mean sitting in judgment on people (or even condemning them), or it may mean exercising a proper discrimination. In the former sense judgment is depreciated; in the latter sense it is recommended.”
1 Thes 5:21 “By all means use your judgment, and hold on to whatever is good.”
• A.W. Tozer: “Among the gifts of the Spirit scarcely one is of greater practical usefulness than the gift of discernment. This gift should be highly valued and frankly sought as being almost indispensable in these critical times. This gift will enable us to distinguish the chaff from the wheat and to divide the manifestations of the flesh from the operations of the Spirit.”
• For clarity, let’s use the word discern for the judgment that God encourages, and criticize for inappropriate judgments. By context, try to identify whether the word judgment, when used in Scripture, means discernment or criticism.
We get to CHOOSE that which we discern is profitable for our life, verses that which we decide is NOT beneficial for our life! So the question is, “Does it serve me, or not serve me?”
When we decide not to associate with a person, that doesn’t mean we are being critical of them (judgmental as in criticism!). It only means that we are making a choice for OUR life, not an assessment for THAT person’s life!
So, in summary, discernment is about what YOU feel is good for YOU life, and judgment is assessing what is good for another person’s life! Do use discernment, but let’s drop assessing what’s good for other people, okay?
By Janeen J. Detrick
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