Do You Focus Inward?
“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.” (Matt. 7:3-5 NIV)
While I would not call this verse of Scripture a favorite, it is one that sticks with me all the time. I think it stuck with me initially because I would think about how others in my life had all kinds of advice or observations about how I was living my life, and I would think, Jeez. Take that plank out of your eye before you worry about my speck. Aging seems to help with worrying about what other people think, and instead, I now think about how I need to apply these words in my own life. Other people tend to look at me from the outside and think I have it all together.
The truth, of course, is that I don’t. None of us do. At least, we don’t have it all together all the time. We may experience beautiful seasons wherein we hit every green light and the ride is smooth. When that smooth ride doesn’t last, we may end up stumbling a bit, but often we can hide our stumbling behind closed doors, even if that might not necessarily be our intention.
Recently, we moved to a new military base in a new state. My kids watch how I interact with new acquaintances, and they evaluate the level of my authenticity. My new neighbors will consider whether or not I am a kind person, whether or not I am being real. Part of keeping the plank out of my eye is presenting my real and true self—frustrations and flaws as well as the pretty parts. As I enter into this new season, the desire of my heart is to be my best self, which means seeing people with the eyes of Jesus. I hope to perceive every person as having the same worth and value that Jesus does and remember that my love and life reflect his love for them.
Although new seasons have their challenges, it is sometimes the people who have long been a part of our lives who present real hurdles to digging that plank out of our own eye. Surely, we all know people who have no filter when it comes to what they say about how we live and make decisions. Maybe you have done the work of setting healthy boundaries, and you don’t worry about this so much. Great job! That definitely gives you the opportunity to focus inward and make sure you work on your own planks.
On the flip side, you might have a loved one you do not understand or maybe don’t even see anymore. I have work to do in these relationships, because I can speculate all day about why they do what they do or why they are absent in my life. Mercifully, sometimes I can see what part I have played in their absence. Usually I remember that it is not my job to know or worry about why they do what they do. I can let the Lord take care of that. When I unburden myself of these worries and questions about other people in my life, I am freed up to again focus inward on my own heart and actions. How can I love like Jesus, no matter the circumstances of my own life or the hurt I might be feeling?
Lord, help me to look for the plank in my own eye and take it out as necessary. Help me to remember that I cannot fully see into the heart of any person, even those who are close to me. Give me a heart of compassion toward them, and help me to use that compassion as a reminder that I have my own heart work to do if I am going to show off your extravagant love in a way that gives you all the glory. Amen.
Scripture for Reflection
“Do n0t judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37 NIV)
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies and do good to those who hate
you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NIV)
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil. 1:9-11 NIV)
Reach for More
Get out your journal or buy a new one. Examine your relationships and explore any places where you have made judgments about how others are living without thinking about what you yourself are doing or how you have handled similar situations in your past. Do you see any planks? Think about how you might sound to someone who is going through a difficult time. Do they hear compassion, or might they view you as a hypocrite? Write a list of the people you think of and then turn that into a prayer list for the next couple weeks. Pray for yourself, too, asking the Holy Spirit to give you words and thoughts of compassion as well as the ability to repent of your own faults and work on changing them in the coming year.
enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and a daughter. A baby interrupts her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator, and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.
Photograph © Ifrah Akhter, used with permission
