The Problem with the Plank

“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, Matthew 7.3-5

Jesus is brilliant. The picture is perfect, the irony is cutting. It's even funny. And it's very real. I remember getting sawdust in my eye when I was out in the shop with my dad. That minuscule little object would not be tolerated for an instant. It was too uncomfortable, it had no place in my eye and it drove me nuts. I couldn't do anything until I got rid of that speck. Too bad that same tenacity doesn't show up with my spiritual shortcomings.

But the problem with the planks of life is that they go unnoticed, uncontested, and unfixed.

The problem with the plank is that its in my eye. And because of pride it can stay there for a long time. I can spot the flaws in someone's worldview from a mile away. I have the eyes of a hawk for the sins of so many. But I can be blind when it comes to my own glaring deficiencies. In fact, I was about to launch into another critique of a friend until I remembered this passage. And the planks were finally in view.

I think you would agree that its easier to examine the speck instead of pull the plank. It is always easier to face another's sin instead of our own. Who wants to own up to that rampant selfishness that comes out with the kids? Or that obvious impatience that explodes in traffic. And what about the all important urge we have for life to be easy--and we don't always respond well when we don't get it.

I think we are going to study their specks over looking at our logs any day.

Unless you have Jesus. 

And then it can be a whole different story. With Jesus I have the confidence to face my flaws, the planks and the specks, based on the forgiveness purchased by His blood at the Cross and the powerful new life that comes from the resurrection.

And right now? It looks like I have some heavy lifting to do.

Christ Alone

"But remember, sinner, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that is the instrument-it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Christ, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Christ, the author and finisher of they faith; and if thou dost that, ten thousand devils cannot throw thee down, but as long as thou lookest at thyself, the meanest of those evil spirits may tread thee beneath his feet . . . it is not faith, it is not our doings, it is not our feelings upon which we must rest, but upon Christ and on Christ alone." 

- Charles Spurgeon, 24 August 1856, New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, England 

Check out this awesome song to help this awesome truth sink in:  

Not What My Hands by Aaron Keyes

All Truth is God's Truth

All truth is God's truth, no matter where we find it. And we do find it in unsuspecting places. Notice these nuggets culled from the writings of Victor Hugo over at Desiring God. 

This one is my favorite:

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves—say rather, loved in spite of ourselves."

Head over to Desiring God for the full post: The Gift of Victor Hugo.  

Reflection

When things get tough my tendency is to get critical. 

That might be a good thing, if I was looking at myself and not other things. Its easy to blame the circumstances, the times, the other person. Looking in the mirror is harder. Its also healthier. 

When you're aggravated at life let me encourage you to try some godly reflection. Get some time alone or with someone you trust and work through some questions like:

• Why does this make me so mad, so fast? 
• What is it that I want most out of this situation?
• Why do I dwell so much on these things? (A good follow-up to this one: Is it a "God thing" or a "me thing" that keeps me coming back to this issue?) 
• What unhealthy ways have I learned to deal with this that need to change before it can get better?
• What passages of Scripture do I know that relate to this issue?
• What promises does God give me about this area? 

It's true that looking in the mirror is tough. In fact, as I wrestle through certain seasons of my life Paul's frustration resonates with me: "Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me." (Romans 7.21). But infinitely more encouraging is the reality that though we struggle we are not dependent on sheer will power alone for success, "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2.13).

Sometimes looking at our reflection reveals mountains of motives, emotions and even revealing revelations about what's going on inside, under the surface.

And thanks to Don Wolgemuth for the refreshing reminder: "The first obstacle in working with young people is you" You can check out the full post at The Resurgence.

Suprise Sabbath

I sometimes live as if there are only two modes of life: all out and worn out.

You probably know what I mean. There are times when we pursue everyday accomplishments with a breathless pace, tackling to-do lists and marching toward life goals with enthusiasm. We chase  our ambitions for days and weeks at a time. We attend every game and cheer on the kids, start a new Bible study, listen deeply to our spouses, and do more with our moments. And its good. There is something intrinsically good about living life right with the One who gave it to us. And for a little while we feel entirely alive.

But it doesn't last. The enthusiasm melts before an onslaught of mounting responsibilities, off days and the often confusing nuts and bolts of life. By the time we've wrestled through these obstacles we're worn out. Suddenly we find that we don't have the energy to be patient or sensitive, or that we lack the inner reservoir to give to a friend who needs a little extra.

Which made me wonder: is there another way?

God snuck up on me with an answer. He gave me a surprise Sabbath. 

It was a rare time when God had allowed me to knock off all my goals for the week and I had, much to my surprise, a day without many planned activities. I did a little bit of this and that but the real wonder was what God was doing. He was giving me a Sabbath. You know, the biblical idea to put aside one day of the week to truly rest, do those things that fill up instead of take away . . . those things that bring life with God. I found myself drinking deeply of His goodness and topped the day off with a walk around the block: just me and Him. 

And you know what? It made all the difference in the world for me. I guess that's what Jesus is talking about when He explains that, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." It was made for me. God's gift to finite creatures prone to the silliness of busyness.    

Thank you, Jesus. For giving me what I need when I need it. Thank you for giving me You. You are the real treasure, the true joy and my worthiest pursuit. 

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

If perfect love casts out fear--and I believe it does, why do we find ourselves still afraid? Fear comes up in many forms. We are afraid of the unknown or being alone. Some are afraid of death. Others the future. But we all face fear. Dave Dorr gets to the heart of overcoming fear with personal faith in this refreshing post (I encourage you to read the whole thing): 

We cannot underestimate the importance of freedom in our lives. Freedom is one of the top reasons Jesus came to earth: “For freedom Christ has set us free...” (Galatians 5:1).

But what does freedom mean?

Click here for the full post at The Resurgence.

Religious Idols

"An idol is something that we look to for things that only God can give. Idolatry functions widely inside religious communities when doctrinal truth is elevated to the position of a false god. This occurs when people rely on the rightness of their doctrine for their standing with God rather than on God Himself and His grace. It is a subtle and deadly mistake."

        

                                              - From Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller, p. 131

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5.21