“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6: 37

In Luke 6:37-42 Jesus tells a parable about people judging others with the emphasis on your actions rather than your neighbours when faced with challenging situations where you feel angry and annoyed. So, Jesus is asking us to think carefully about what were my actions in the situation that led to me to being despondent and disappointed.

I often think the immediate reason is usually the reaction of the person or people involved in the situation. The words or actions on both sides might be considered harmful on how we can try to resolve the situation. Therefore, the onus is on the two parties to listen to each other’s points of view to achieve a fruitful outcome.

The next damaging factor to achieving a resolution is both parties holding steadfast to their position. If the other party and I approach the challenge facing us with a fixed mindset then we deny ourselves the opportunity to solve the problem. Thus, we need to be open and engage in dialogue that will present us with possibilities to determine a positive result.

Jesus, however gives us the message in Luke 6:37 to remain level headed and if we feel slighted to forgive that person rather than hold a grudge the next time, we encounter that person. Most importantly, reflect on how we can work through this issue successfully in the future.