Stress Test Devotional May 18
May 18, 2024
MATTHEW 7:3
Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye and not the log in your own?
Jesus reinforces his call to us to move away from condemnation with a picture. The famous log and speck analogy. We see others’ small faults clearly and miss our own major flaws. Jesus goes on to say, “you hypocrite take the board from your own eye first and then you’ll see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbor’s vision!” But is Jesus suggesting we are always hypocritical and must wait to criticize until we are perfect and see perfectly? No!
The log in our eye is condemnation. Kingdom righteousness is a matter of our hearts, and the condemning heart is far from the Kingdom! We cannot help others unless our hearts are right, freed from condemnation, that blinds us from truly seeing others and knowing how to help them. We cannot be helpful to the people of our lives, or know how to pray for them, unless we rid ourselves of condemnation.
Prayer
Great God, Clarify my vision, O Lord of my heart. Help me to recognize and resist the harsh and critical reactions that well up inside me. Thank you for everyone in my life that encourages and has encouraged me. Let me measure my words knowing their impact and wait to speak until I’ve sees how to help. Amen.
