Clean Windows

Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn't so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you've done. – Romans 2:1-2 (The Message)

Go ahead and look up some other translation, what does this mean for you? What might Paul be calling you towards? How do you judge others? Do you know you are judging?

This story was e-mailed to me:
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."
Her husband looked on, but remained silent.
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:
"Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."
The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

I once read, “It is a vital moment of truth when a man discovers that what he condemns most vehemently in others is that to which he himself is prone.” Maybe we aren’t always judging in others the faults that we ourselves have (although we often do), but we use others as a way of making sure we never have to look in the mirror and do some self-assessment. It is easier to point the finger than it is take time working on ourselves, but quite honestly, if we don’t start at home we won’t be able to help anyone else either.

With hope and joy,
Garrett

Bringing Others To Christ

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. – Romans 14:13 (NIV)

How often do you pass judgments on others? When have you seen yourself as a stumbling block to others discovering God? What about how you are might help people discover Christ? How have you witnessed others act as obstacles?

I heard a story one time of a woman whose son was not a Christian. She was deeply concerned for him and let him know it, and convinced herself that he would become a Christian at any cost. In an effort to ensure that her son would accept Christ she purchased him books, made him listen to sermons, sent him cards with bible verses, but nothing seemed to work.
As time went on she grew incredibly frustrated and decided to go to God in prayer. She got on her knees and explained to God how hard she had been trying, and finally in a moment of sincere distress begged God saying, “Lord completely remove whatever obstacle is keeping my son from converting.”
There was a bright flash, and suddenly she disappeared!

Mahatma Gandhi was asked what he thought about Christians and replied, “I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” It is time to begin acting like followers of Jesus, by loving the hurt, going to the needy, being good and caring, and inviting everyone to a better way of life. When we look more like Christ, people who need Jesus will find him in us. Today decide to stop being a stumbling block to any, by becoming a loving neighbor to all!

With hope and joy,

Garrett