“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”
Matthew 7:3-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.7.3-5.NLT
Jesus is speaking to the need for us to take care of our own issues first before offering help to someone else.
Reflection
We are quick to think we know what someone else needs to do, yet we are often slow to be honest about our own issues and address them.
Jesus gives us clear direction. Do not try to help someone else when you need to deal with your own issues first.
Perhaps the most common area where we put off dealing with our own issues while offering plenty of “help” for others is in relationships. When phrases like “you need to do this” or “you should act this way” start coming out of your mouth toward someone else, take a step back, and ask yourself if you are really in a position to say such things to someone else.
What is so often true, is what we are ready to declare for someone else is not something we are willing to address in our own lives.
Jesus is inviting us to address our own issues first.
Encouragement
If the very best version of you could consistently show up in others' lives, imagine the blessing and encouragement that would be.
If Christ is transforming your life and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you are learning to show up every day with his purposes, love, and compassion flowing through your life, think about what that would mean to those around you.
The help you offer now comes from a place of transformation. Your insight and guidance are more likely to be given with gentleness and humility, and others are more likely to be open to what you have to say.
When it comes to dealing with your own issues, identify the help that would be needed and seek it out. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in getting the help you need. Seek counsel from those you trust. Let God’s word teach you how to live.
I am so glad Jesus isn’t asking you or me to fix anyone else. He is asking us to thoughtfully address issues in our lives through his forgiveness and righteousness. The Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us in this.
When this happens, we become a real help to others. People are not looking for our advice or directives. They want to see the presence of Christ living through us in a way that blesses and encourages all that is good, right, and beautiful.
What a gift Jesus is giving to us to help us address our own issues first.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for teaching us to take care of our own issues first before thinking we can help others.
Forgive us when we rush to solve or fix something in other people’s lives when we haven’t taken the time to do the work that needs to be done in our own lives.
Thank you for inviting us into a life of transformation through your forgiveness and righteousness.
Holy Spirit, thank you for being with us, leading and guiding us as you help us address the things we need to deal with.
In your name, Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Ed McDowell