Luke 6:41-42
41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
42 Or how can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
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It is extremely easy to find fault in other people. However, we are called to first examine ourselves and “remove the log” from our own eyes.
So how do we do that? In my opinion, we’re being told to examine ourselves, identify our own sinfulness and shortcomings, and remove them. In Paul’s letters he describes this process as putting sin to death. The more we do so, the closer we get to God. But we also know that we never fully get the log out. Which makes me wonder …. when do I get to remove the speck from my brother’s eye? What if it really bothers me and really causes problems? What am I supposed to do?
Truthfully I don’t have a developed answer to that. But it’s clear that Christ is saying, and Paul is confirming, that I am better served spending my time examining myself, putting sin to death, and drawing closer to God than I am working on other folks.
This jives with something else I’ve finally wrapped my mind around of late – I need to trust God for things I can’t control, and concentrate on the things that I KNOW God has called me to do. Has he called me to remove someone else’s speck? Maybe, but if we’re truly remaining in God, aren’t we supposed to let Him tell us that, rather than make that determination ourselves?
I do know for certain that he has called me to get the log out of my own eye, so … I probably should put my focus there. That’s a lifetime’s worth of work.
Just rambling on a Friday afternoon …
