By David ReayTuesday 6 Jan 2015LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Matthew 7:1-5
1 “Do not judge others,and you will not be judged. 2 For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
3 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying to your friend,’Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. (NLT)
You may have met people who regularly complain about others causing them problems. Their work colleagues are so unsatisfactory that they have to leave for a new job. Lo and behold,those work colleagues are just as bad. And so it goes on. Or those who tell us that all their other family members treat them unfairly. Or those who can’t get on with many fellow church members.
We may begin to suspect that the problem is within that person. If life seems to be a succession of troubled relationships for that person,we are entitled to draw at least a tentative conclusion that the fault may lie in that person.
It is a case of such an individual being very aware of all the specks in the eyes of others (specks which may well be very real). It is also a case of that person being unaware of the whopping great plank in their own eye. It may be something in them that causes the varied relationship problems,but they can’t bear to face it so they direct their focus to the faults of others instead.
Self-awareness is a vital part of growth to Christian maturity and a vital ingredient of healthy relationships. A wise dose of self-criticism helps us be less critical of others. It reminds us that the ‘enemy’ is sometimes within us.
Blessings
David Reay