Be Still And Know

Matthew 7.3 NLT “Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?” This comical illustration is taken from the carpenter’s workshop and Jesus uses it to press home his teaching about being critical. It’s so easy to spot the shortcomings of other people. Jesus isn’t suggesting that their inadequacies aren’t real. They do indeed get lots of things wrong. But Jesus encourages us to look at ourselves and recognise that our failings may be vastly bigger than the little failings of others. He isn’t saying that we should stop identifying the specks in other people’s eyes but that we should start by becoming far more self-aware. How well do you know yourself? It is very easy for all of us to develop annoying habits and attitudes which are so deeply embedded in us that we don’t see them any more. When someone points out that we are a little short of perfection, we shrug our shoulders and conclude that people just need to “take us as they find us”. Jesus suggests that this isn’t goo