When was the last time you saw someone do something wrong, or possibly even a wrong against you? How did you feel towards them? How did you answer?
Our usual reaction is often a negative one out of emotion. This is a result of us being human in a fallen world. As Christians striving to become more like Christ, we have read Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV), which says,
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 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.”
We also read John 8:7 (ESV)
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone…”
Both of these require us to look at ourselves first before we can point fingers at others. We should learn to always look at ourselves before reacting in a negative situation. If we react according to the laws of physics and Newton’s Third Law, which says, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” then conflict just escalates, and relationships deteriorate and fail.
Merriam-Webster defines introspection as “a reflective looking inward: an examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings.” As Christians, this should be part of who we are. Before reacting, before pointing fingers, we should ask if we ourselves are innocent of the charge we are putting on someone else. This is just another way the Luke 6:31 (NIV) applies.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
In 1 Timothy 3:1-4 (NIV), Paul lists a few of the qualifications for leadership as:
Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.
Shouldn’t these be qualities to which we all aspire? The keywords “above reproach” help us in becoming closer to having that log removed from our own eye as well as being closer to the One who is without sin, and who does not throw stones, but forgives.
So, in our journey to become more like Christ, who lives inside us because we asked Him to come into our heart, we should always have a mindset of introspection, looking at ourselves instead of judging others.
Putting it another way…
We should always look inward to know our heart first.
It is there we will see Jesus and know His love, forgiveness and mercy!
© 2018 Marty Hill – Administered By Quaddot Productions – All Rights Reserved
Author of Professional’s Guide to Technical Ministry, available on Amazon.com.
