The Woman Views the Cross 3

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?

Teach One Another 3

Ephesians 4:29-30

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That is a familiar saying from our childhood, something we were taught in the hopes of maintaining a positive self-esteem even in the face of criticism. But the truth is words can hurt very much. Bad words, criticism, ridicule can cause more pain and longer lasting damage than a handful of sticks and stones.

As Christians we need to be keenly aware of the power of our words. We need to be very conscious of our ability to tear down or to build up. When we speak to one another in our times of worship, when we try to lead or share with one another in Bible study, when we interact at our council meetings, we need to choose our words wisely.

We have talked about what to say to one another that we might teach one another. This passage takes a slightly different turn. What are we not to say? What are we not to do? According to the second half of verse 29, what are we to say?

Although interactions with others may not always go as smoothly as we would like, and spending time together inevitably leads to those times of friction and disagreement, we need to be careful with our words and our attitudes. We are told not to allow any unwholesome talk to come out of our mouths. Instead of arguing and criticizing one another, we should teach and build others up according to their needs.

But unwholesome talk is more than just rude words and harsh criticism. Unwholesome talk would include lies and deceit. Unwholesome talk would also include false statements and misinformation. These words would grieve the Holy Spirit for the evil that is perpetuated.

If we will teach one another we must choose our words wisely. We must treat one another with respect and acceptance. And we must provide one another with the truth, with learning that is based on fact and couched in mercy; not with hearsay, falsehoods, superstitions or erroneous tradition.

Keep unwholesome words from leaving your mouth. Instead, let us teach one another and build one another up in Christian love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be certain that your words are wholesome and helpful?