Friday 4 July, 2014

7 “Do not judge others. Then you will not be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others. 3 “You look at the bit of sawdust in your friend’s eye. But you pay no attention to the piece of wood in your own eye. 4 How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take the bit of sawdust out of your eye’? How can you say this while there is a piece of wood in your own eye? 5 “You pretender! First take the piece of wood out of your own eye. Then you will be able to see clearly to take the bit of sawdust out of your friend’s eye. 6 “Do not give holy things to dogs. Do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they might walk all over them. Then they might turn around and tear you to pieces.

Here’s how the Message Version puts it… “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticise their faults- unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging…”

Well, since you put it like that, actually no, I don’t want the same treatment!  But how easy it is to look for the negative and be fault-finding rather than look for the good in people.

Being critical seems to be human nature and we will probably have to fight the urge until the day we die. But fight it we must if we are to truly reflect God’s character to those around us.

Thank you God that you continually extend mercy and not judgement to me. Help me to do the same for others!

Written by Shelley Witt