Or how can you say to your neighbor, “Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. ~ Luke 6.42
Have you ever had something irritating your eye so badly that, not only could you hardly keep the irritated eye open, the good eye also wanted to remain shut? It is very difficult to see clearly with your eyes battling to stay open as they burn and tear up from whatever foreign object or injury is obscuring your view. Yes, you can see, but with much strain and difficulty focusing on what you are actually viewing, due to the discomfort you are trying to ignore while trying to see where you are going or what is just up ahead of you.
The same can be true in trying to solve others’ problems. If we have difficulties clouding our lives and distracting us from being able to clearly see resolutions to our own problems, it makes it difficult for us to concentrate and truly see someone else’s problems and give them clear direction in how they should be living their lives. It might make us temporarily feel better to ignore our own discomfort and problems by pointing out someone else’s and trying to give them advice as to how they should be living, but it would serve others better to first take care of our own issues before trying to tell someone how to fix theirs.
No one can give better solutions to our troubles than Christ, for He was the only one that had no issues of His own to cloud His views of situations. Others had trouble with Christ and how He was telling them they should be living, but Christ had no vices with which He needed to be rid of, or sins that He needed to try to hide from others around Him. He is the only source of perfect advice on how to live and what we should strive for in life. If anyone is having a problem in their lives, they need only turn to Christ for direction and solutions to their difficult circumstances. He will give them what they need to turn their lives in the right direction and go forward – seeing clearly where they need to go in life to live according to God’s will.
Prayer
Dear Lord,Help us to stop trying to make ourselves feel better about ourselves by pointing out others’ faults and instead look to You to solve our own problems in how we are living our lives. Help us to clearly see where You want us to go to serve You with the lives You have given us, so that perhaps, others can follow our example and look to You as well. Amen.
~ Wendy Miller
