Plank Eye

As humans, it can be so easy to judge what others are doing wrong, whether it is sinning or just making bad decisions. We can gossip about them all day long and generate scenarios of what they should do in order to correct their mistake, convincing ourselves that we could never end up in their predicament. As we look on from our high perch, we may feel that somehow, we have a better vantage point in how to view their problem than they do. And as a result, we might feel qualified to give advice on how they could correct their issues or avoid their sin. Self-righteousness is a human shortcoming that, at some point, will affect us all. But things get a bit more difficult when we turn the magnifying glass on ourselves and examine our own failings. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:3-5:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Jesus warns us about judging others, and here, he gives us a lesson in self-righteousness. If you find yourself perched on your high branch, surveying the faults and sins of others, I encourage you to remember this portion of scripture. Jesus doesn’t say that we shouldn’t help remove the speck from our brother’s eye, but far too often, we pretend that there isn’t a plank in our own. And until we remove the plank from our own eye, and get our house in order so to speak, we’re really not in the position to remove the speck from our brother’s eye. So, I encourage you to really examine the words Jesus speaks here, and see if you have, or are currently falling into this trap of hypocrisy.

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It is human nature to have an opinion about how others are running their lives. It is a sinful and fleshly reaction. But even if we internalize our thoughts and feelings, often times we feel that we are somehow entitled to judge others. I challenge you not to fall into this trap. Jesus tells us to consider our own sins, and shortcomings, with honest spiritual eyes before we consider judging someone else. This scripture reminds me of the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus tells the villagers that the one who is without sin should cast the first stone. Knowing that we all have sinned, and have the propensity to sin again, we should guard ourselves from being one with a stone in our hand. Because until we are free from our own plank, we aren’t qualified, or as Jesus puts it, we can’t see clearly to remove the speck from our brother’s eye.

Someone Else

One of my favorite biblical role models is Moses. God used him to lead his people out of slavery and into the promised land. Moses was humble; so humble that he was allowed to talk to God face to face. But he did have a bit of a rocky start. He wasn’t always an incredibly obedient man of God. When God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses searched for any excuse he could to get out of it. When no excuse seemed to be good enough he ended his evasiveness with these words in Exodus 4:13:

“But Moses said, ‘O Lord, please send someone else to do it.’”

Ultimately, he obeyed the Lord and, as a result, was so highly regarded by God that in the New Testament, when Jesus was miraculously transfigured on the mount of transfiguration, Jesus was only joined by two people; Elijah and Moses. But his spiritual journey didn’t start out very well. He said to God, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” Then the Bible tells us that God burned with anger. When God asks you or me to do something, let us be quick to say “yes” and quick to be about it. It is my hope that God never hears those words come from my mouth, and I hope he’ll never hear them come from yours either.

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Obedience to God should be the goal of every believer. When he asks us to do something, we shouldn’t be like Moses and shrink away from our calling. In Moses’ defense, what God was asking seemed incredibly challenging. I’m sure most of us would’ve been afraid too, even if we knew that God would be there with us. And I’m sure it turned out to be just as hard as Moses envisioned, but God doesn’t always call us to do things that are easy, comfortable, or even things that we are gifted at. Sometimes he calls us to do things that are difficult. But one thing we should always remember is that when God calls us to do something, he is always there leading us in the midst of it.

Cry of the Poor

Have you ever heard the saying, “forewarned is forearmed”? The basic principle behind the saying is that if we are warned about something, it is almost as if we are armed to defend ourselves because we will be prepared and not taken by surprise. Proverbs 21:13 sends us a warning that should help us become forearmed. It says:

“If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”

God cares about the poor. In this verse, we are warned not to shut our ears to them. In another place, the Bible highlights how much God cares about the orphans and widows by calling believers to specifically care for them as well. God doesn’t take on the responsibility of caring for the poor and less fortunate by himself. He leaves much of that to his believers; those of us who call ourselves Christians and bow our knee to our Lord Jesus. It is our job to answer the cries of the poor. If we don’t do it, who will? I believe that God will figure a way to accomplish his goal if we fail, but who of us doesn’t want our cries answered? The scripture clearly says, “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be heard.” Do you want to be heard when you cry out? I know that I do. So, I encourage you to open your ears to the cry of the poor.

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Proverbs warns us that “if a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be heard.” You don’t have to be rich to help those who are poor. Just reach out in some way. Volunteer at an organization that ministers to the less fortunate. Pray for those who are in need. When the opportunity arises, or God lays someone on your heart who is in need, be quick to respond. Make no mistake, when we help the poor, God notices – especially when they are crying out for help. And when we shut our ears to their cry, well, he notices that too.

When You Fast

In the last couple of posts, I shared what I believe are three major things we can proactively do to cultivate our relationship with God. I explained that they are things that we should do often, and if we do them the way God wants us to do them, no one but us and God will even know that we’re doing it. First I talked about reading our Bible, then prayer, and in this segment, I thought I’d highlight a practice that I believe is the most powerful; and that is fasting. Very few people enjoy fasting, but it is something that Jesus calls us to do, and he wants us to do it in secret. In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus says: 

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

This is probably a practice that American believers do the least. Some have never attempted it. But Jesus tells us that we are to fast. Fasting, is simply denying ourselves food, for a period of time, as we focus with pin-point precision on our Lord and Savior. Some might fast their lunch during the day. Others might fast distractions like watching television, accessing cell phones or playing video games for a time. But I believe when Jesus refers to fasting he’s talking about denying ourselves all food, and drinking only water, for a period of time. I believe the longer we choose to fast in this way, the more God can use that time to do an amazing work in us, through us and for us. I’ve read, and heard stories, of unexplainable things happening during extended fasts; things like hearing the audible voice of God, literally feeling the hand of God, and even witnessing physical things moving by themselves in the room. If that sounds too wild for you, I challenge you not to put God in a box. His power is incredible, and I believe that fasting is the best way to fast-track an answer to our most pressing issues. I challenge you, if something is going on in your life that seems impossible to overcome, fast. Spend time alone with God as much as you can, abstain from eating any food, and poor out your heart to him until you hear an answer. Fasting was a way of life for Jesus and his disciples, and it should be for us as well.

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Fasting is a practice that many Christians ignore, but the Bible encourages us to do it. I believe that it is a concentrated time of deep connection with our God. When fasting, every hunger pang reminds us of why we are denying ourselves. Our minds are continually on God and the reason for our fast. I usually fast when I really need to hear from God or see him move on my behalf. Sometimes I fast for a day, and others times I fast for several. But each time, I feel a closeness to God that can only come from fasting. I encourage you, if you haven’t fasted before, to make it a practice in your life. It is a directive from God, and it makes a difference in our relationship with him and whatever we’re going through in life.

When You Pray

In the Wednesday’s post, I shared what I believe are the three major things we can proactively do to cultivate our relationship with God. I explained that they are things that we should do often, and if we do them the way God wants us to do them, no one but us and God will even know that we’re doing it. In that segment, I focused on reading our Bible, but this time I wanted to encourage you to pray consistently. Think about it. How can we build a relationship with someone if we don’t talk to them? Prayer doesn’t have to always involve us asking for something. We could simply praise and worship God with our words. We could thank him for what he has given us. And yes, we could plead with him on behalf of ourselves or someone else. But I believe the most powerful prayers are ones done in isolation, with no distractions, providing the perfect atmosphere for an open dialogue between you and God. In Matthew chapter 6, verses 5 through 8 Jesus says this about prayer:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Isn’t it encouraging to know that God knows what we need before we even ask? If you kneel to pray and don’t know what to say, I encourage you to just sit silently in his presence and listen with your spiritual ears. You may hear God revealing something to you. Many people believe that prayer is one way communication from us to God. Though I believe that is the way the majority of our prayers happen, I think that he speaks to us as well, if we take the time to be quiet, to be patient and to listen.

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Prayer is essential to the health of any Christian walk. The Bible tells us to pray constantly – or without ceasing. We should be in conversation with God as often as possible. That is one of the best ways to maintain a strong relationship with him. In the Bible we read about times when God tells others, “I never knew you”. This is after they’ve cast out demons and performed amazing miracles in his name. I encourage you to make sure that God knows you by talking to him often. And when you come to him with something heavy on your heart; so heavy that you don’t even know how to express yourself, remember that Romans 8:26 says:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

So, I encourage you to pray often even when you don’t know what to say. If you find prayer difficult, start small. Pray in private for only a few minutes. If you make it a habit, over time, I think you’ll even look forward to time alone with God.