Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? Matthew 7:3-4 (NIV)
I took a bit of a pause in writing over the past couple of weeks, but yesterday as I wrote notes in my journal at church, I stumbled upon this title that I must have written about one month ago. I thought during my devotional time that I would be reading a book that I found on our bookshelf, but the Holy Spirit led me to sit down and write. So here we are- you reading this and me writing this.
I think over the past few months in listening to what others are saying whether between the lines or outright, passing judgements is becoming more and more overt. If not careful, one may find themselves either judging in secret or in public, but the question that I pose is, would Jesus approve? When I asked the questions to myself, I could feel the conviction in my own past diction and thought pattern leading me to repent for my own wrong doing.
In our daily experience, we will encounter those who we may not particularly care for and who we believe are wrong, but we must be careful to observe whether we are falling into the trap of judgements either in our mind or dialect and ask God to remove the bitter fruit of that entrapment.
If we honestly look at ourselves in our own mirror, we can see our own plank that needs correction. I know I require help from the Holy Spirit in this area as my flesh desires to react, but my spirit overrules to respond in love. When we posture ourselves in this manner and consider all that God has forgiven us for, how can we judge others? Makes you sit back and think right?
I pray that today and each day moving forward we can both remove our own plank with His help and guidance, see past the speck of others, lead with love and overdose with grace.
Stay Encouraged. Seek Him, Obey the Call, Complete Your Assignment.
Complete Your Calling 