It is rare that I write about faults and weaknesses in others.
There was a time however.
When I was younger, I would have been happy to point out your sin, your faults and certainly your weaknesses.
At one time, I was quite willing to live in a Christian glass house.
When you live in a neighborhood of glass houses, they are pretty.
And, they are expensive to maintain.
The maintenance and the repair of window panes and large panels can be exorbitant.
If you throw a rock in the neighborhood.
Or even the slightest pebble.
Or speak in judgment of others.
If you throw a pebble at the neighbors house, then you are very likely going to have a pebble, stone, rock or boulder hurled back in the direction of your house.
In fact, it is guaranteed.
You throw a rock in the direction of your neighbor’s house, you get a rock thrown at your house.
Once I realized that the sin, fault and weakness I saw in others, while standing in my glass house, was actually the sun causing the reflection of my own life to be seen, I decided to sell the house.
Once I sold the house it took the focus off of me and placed it where it should be.
On Christ.
If people are looking at my glass house, aka, my life, they should not be able to see me.
At least not the real me.
If they are looking at my life, they should be able to see Christ.
Compassion for the sinner replaced my condemnation of the saints.
Unmerited favor for me replaced ungodly judgment toward others.
Forgiveness in my own life replaced the lack of forgiveness I withheld from someone else.
Every now and then, as recently as yesterday, I will drive through the old neighborhood and see how I once lived.
I am the sinner…forgiven.
I am the one at fault…made innocent.
I am the weak man…now strengthened in Christ.
And the only glass I should be looking at…is in the mirror.
“Don’t be too eager to tell others their faults, we all make many mistakes.” James 3:1
John
M.A.G.A.Y.B.F.
Took me until the past few years to grasp that concept. Thankful for the opportunity to encourage my kids to extend God’s grace to those they interact with.
If the next generation can learn this, our future world will be a better place.
I too have been guilty of focusing on others weaknesses and ignoring or justifying my own. Recently I heard a sermon by a very wise man who when speaking on this very subject said, this is a type of “perfectionism” on our part. I’d never thought of it that way. He also said this perfectionism leads us to judgement of others who sin differently than we do. Wow. I’d never heard it quite put that way. Brought it home. Thanks for this reminder John.
Sin differently than we do.
That is a great way to put it.