Matthew 7:3-5
I had a friend in my high school and college years who was big on giving advice to me and others. He always seemed hyper-critical of what I did and who I was friends with. Eventually, of course, I stopped associating with him and wonder to this day why I listened to him. His own life, in my opinion, was a mess. He struggled with finances, with his weight, and with alcohol. As far as I know he never married because he could never meet anyone who measured up to his expectations.
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives a warning about criticizing others. What metaphor does he use? What must we do first before advising others?
It can be very tempting to offer advice or criticism to others. But even when our intentions are for the best we must be cautious in this. Why are we so eager to point out the problems in other people and offer solutions to them when we have a sufficient amount of troubles in our own lives to deal with?
This concept extends beyond comments about appearance, decorating, diet and lifestyle choices. We often take on the same attitude when it comes to spirituality.
There are so many who like to sit in judgment of others, pointing out the sin and failings in others. They do not seem to see their own sinful nature. They seem to overlook or dismiss their own spiritual short-comings.
Philippians 2:12 says, “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” We each should see to our own salvation first before looking in on others. This is not to say we shouldn’t share the gospel message until we are certain of our own place in heaven. But we do need to remove the plank of sin in ourselves before we can worry over the sin of others. Before we spend time deciding who is acceptable for God’s kingdom, let’s look to our own thoughts and behavior to see if we are acceptable.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Give yourself a prayerful and honest evaluation. What planks of sin are in your life?
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