Pointing the finger...

As Christians we are called to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ or what many call the "Good News". As a fairly new Christian my husband would say I am in the "cage stage"* the point where I feel as though what I hold to be true is the only way and I want everyone I come into contact with to know it and believe it.

With that said I want to reflect on Matthew 7:1-5

Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (ESV)

I've been called a hypocrite before and was very offended. At the time it was probably rightfully fitting but now in this light, as I attempt to spread the gospel, my prayer is that I don't take that "hypocrite" title again.

For my second post I had originally planned to discuss what it means or looks like to be a Christian or follower of Christ. When reading through the scripture I stumbled upon Matthew and was convicted to address my own personal struggle with judging others. When thinking of how one is to live the Christian life I am very quick to point my finger and say someone else is wrong. But as Jesus says,

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

I need to judge and examine my own life as a Christian. As I continue this process of defining my faith I am pointing the finger back at myself to help chisel out the hypocrisy in my life. My standard or measure of judgement is not my own, I did not create it, it is the written word of God.

Final Note:
Thankfully we humans are not the final judges of who lives and dies. I'm sure that those who I have wronged would have me condemned for eternity, I know because I once felt the same for those who wronged me. As James 4:12 states,

There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and destroy- But who are you to judge your neighbor?

We cannot save ourselves. We need the God of grace and mercy to be in control of our final judgement. Praise to our Lord and Savior for his judgements are fair and just.

*The cage stage is a term to jokingly describe how new found Calvinists react when they discover other believers don't share the same beliefs. They should be put in a cage until the initial excitement wears off. Unfortunately for you, the reader, my husband let me out of the cage to start a blog :-)