So I learned a new word today: palliating.

I was reading a commentary on Matthew 7:1’s “Judge not lest ye be judged.”  Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains judging as, among other things, “the habit of forming a judgment …without an allowance for every palliating circumstance.”

So maybe you’re more of a lexicomane than I.  {Do you like that?  It’s another kind of fun word I learned today : ) – apparently it’s up and coming.}  Anyways, I wasn’t really sure what palliating meant… so I wasn’t really sure if I was in the habit of doing it or not.

Good ol’ Webster tells me that palliating basically means extenuating or mitigating; it can lessen the severity of something (often a disease).  So Barnes’ challenge is not to form judgments without allowing for every extenuating circumstance.

Re-framed positively, his encouragement is to first consider every possible circumstance before judging.

So if I am frustrated with someone, I should consider

• What may have contributed to their action?
• What else is going on in their life?
• How might they have perceived this?
• Whom do I know them to be?
• How would their God-given gifts affect their handling of the situation?
• How would their God-given personality affect their handling of the situation?
• How would their spiritual maturity affect their response to the situation?
• What other stressors in their life should I be considering?
• What other situations in their life may frame their actions?
• What may have been their godly intent?
• Does the timing of the situation play into this at all?
• Does the location of the situation affect it at all?
• Do the others involved affect it at all?
• What might their emotions or feelings have been at the time?

It’s also helpful to consider me in the equation:

• How does my background affect how I perceive their actions?
• How does my personality affect how I perceive them?
• What else might be going on in my life that may affect my relationship with them?
• What might I not fully understand about this situation?

And perhaps most importantly,

• Lord, what else am I missing?

Just some brainstorms!  This certainly isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list or a checklist, but these types of questions can help us think through a situation and consider it from all angles.  Considering all possible mitigating circumstances can help keep us from judging unfairly… from judging in an ungodly manner.

So let’s go forth and palliate!

Or maybe this is a better palliating campaign slogan:  Be a pal and palliate!

[ Sorry to those of you whose cheese-meters just exploded : )]

Question:  What questions and considerations help you palliate?