Scripture: Matthew 7:3-5 “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? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Devotion: It was a Sunday morning. Church was about to start, and people were filling the pews. In walked a young woman with several marks on her hand. They were a variety of shapes and colors- marks from the bar the night before. And the group of women that saw her walk into the church that morning had seen her go home with a random guy after leaving the bars the night before. “Man, does she have some guts to show up today.”
How often is this our posture? We can easily find ourselves judging the actions of other believers. We know that we are called to look different than what is “normal” in this world, and so we call it out when we see it in other people. We make a point of noting what they have done wrong and where they have fallen short. We may or may not bring it up to them (most often, we don’t). Instead, we choose to cast our judgement from afar, deeming their actions worldly and not honoring to God.
And while some of that may be true, how often do we evaluate our own lives and actions? As Jesus instructed in Matthew 7, we are called to look for the plank in our own eye before the speck in someone else’s. We are called to repent and turn from the sin in our lives before we call out other people for their shortcomings. We all have areas of our lives where we struggle to live how God has called us to. But the beauty of it is that when we can recognize it, we can give it over to the Lord.
As we all seek for the Lord to sanctify us, we should have grace for one another. Each journey of sanctification looks different. And ultimately, we all desire to look more like Jesus. So, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and in the lives of others. Let’s ask Him to help us see the plank in our own eye before looking for the speck in others’. Let’s ask Him to make us holy as He is holy, and then help us to walk in both grace and truth as we interact with others.
Reflect:
- Have you ever found yourself noticing the sin in someone else’s life without taking the time to look for it in your own?
- Are there any areas of your life that are you living “normal” by worldly standards and need to give over to God?
