A Week Of Dealing With Your Beam

Why is it that the traits we dislike most in ourselves are the ones we see in other people? What tends to happen is we'll judge someone for their prideful ways when what we really hate is our own pride. Or we see sin in another woman's life and ignore the sin in our own.

In Jesus' sermon on the mount, He tackles the topic of judging and hypocrisy in a clear and vivid way.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. Matthew 7:1

This is perhaps one of the most quoted Scripture by a lost and dying world to justify their own actions. "Don't judge me because you're just as bad." "If you condemn what I'm doing, I'll dig into your life and pull out some skeletons, too." "Sure, I sin, but I see what you're doing, too."

But when this verse is put back into the context of the passage, it's not about getting someone else in trouble or pointing fingers so we feel better about ourselves. It describes the radical surgery we need to do in our own hearts and minds.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Matthew 7:2-5

The hypocrisy comes when we are more concerned about judging and rebuking others for the mote of sin in those around us than we are with dealing with our own sin and getting right with God. The beam in our own eye blinds us to the needs in our own lives but puts someone else's sin front and center.

Make this a week of pulling the beam out of your own eye and doing business with God about the places you fall short. Take the next few days to prayerfully consider where you need to change and grow. Then your heart will be ready to help and encourage anyone God places in your path. Only when we're on the same page with God can we be used the way He wants to use us for His honor and glory.

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