Speaker: Dave Nelson
Theme: Judging Others
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Happy Day by Tim Hughes; The Time Has Come by Hillsong; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; The Stand by Hillsong.
READ: Matthew 7:1-6 THINK: Ever heard the saying, “When you point your finger at someone, there are three other fingers pointing back at you”? This came to my mind today as I began to judge the drivers around me. My mind was filled with statements like, “Where did that guy learn to drive?” “What on earth is that trucker doing in my lane?” “Why is that lady allowed to be on the road?” “There are so few of us on the road that really know how to drive.” Meanwhile other drivers may have been questioning my sanity as I dodged between cars to move ahead and drove way too fast in hopes of being on time for my appointment. As Pastor Dave Nelson said on Sunday, when we get anxious about the behavior of others and judge them, we are being self-righteous. Most likely it is because something is not right in our own lives. At these times we need to first look at our own hearts. We need to look at the “plank” in our own eye before trying to remove the “speck” in the eye of another. When I am irritated by the actions of others, the real problem is in my own heart. I am filled with anger, bitterness, shame and condemnation. I make my opinions and world views the standard by which others ought to live. This is well and good if my heart is in the right place, but most often my judgments are made from a selfish heart, not a pure heart. The desire of my heart is to love others as God has loved me and to do unto others as I would wish them to do unto me. The break down comes between my desires and my actions. I am not a new believer yet I struggle with the same issues that challenged me when I first believed. Christianity is transformational. I can look back and see that there are definite areas of growth in my life as a believer, yet I know there is a long walk ahead to becoming the person God wants me to be. Daily I need to be reminded to be more concerned about the issues in my life that I can change than the issues in the lives of others that I cannot change. Do: Today, when tempted to judge another, let’s focus on our heart condition. What is motivating you to make that initial impression? As you evaluate your heart, ask God to guide you and give you a heart that reflects His heart. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithful love and patience. Help me to do unto others as I would have them do unto me. Forgive my selfish motives in judging others and give me a heart that is motivated by your love. AMEN : The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church. |