- Spiritual people are people who have taken the log out of their eye insofar as they know themselves, they have repented of their sins and cast themselves on the mercy of Jesus and depend on the Holy Spirit (John Piper)
- Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. (Aristotle)
- One must know oneself. If this does not serve to discover truth, it at least serves as a rule of life, and there is nothing better. (Blaise Pascal)
- If you resist reading what you disagree with, how will you ever acquire deeper insights into what you believe? The things most worth reading are precisely those that challenge our convictions. (Anonymous)
- The greatest discovery in life is self-discovery. Until you find yourself, you will always be someone else. Become yourself. (Myles Munroe)
- Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. (Carl Jung)
- As fallen people, our default position is to rule on the throne of our own lives. Unless we consciously dethrone ourselves each day, enthrone Jesus as our king, and then keep him there through our worship and obedience, we are our own kings. (Jim Denison)
TEXT: Matthew 7: 3 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? 4 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? 5 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.Top of Form
Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Jesus Christ’s coming, dying, and resurrection show us the way to our heavenly Father. Loving God wholeheartedly and loving others in the same way you love yourself is what makes us effective as participants in God’s kingdom, and priests of God on earth (Revelation 5:10). In the sermon on the mountain, Jesus Christ taught the importance of healthy interpersonal relationships. This could be because the things that irritate us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. Self-awareness is crucial factor in shaping our relationships. When understanding of self is blurred, we might interrupt conversations, react defensively, or fail to recognize our emotional triggers, causing misunderstandings and conflict. Self-awareness allows for better communication, improved understanding of others, and enhanced empathy, all of which contribute to healthier and more meaningful witness of the saving grace of God. Being self-aware includes awareness of the image we have of ourself, what we think others think about us and what we wish we are (ideal self), enables us manage our emotions, recognize patterns in our interactions, and be honest in addressing problematic behaviors that hinder our fellowship with one another.
Jesus Christ knows that the human nature tends to be judgmental of other people and exalts self by pointing other people’s flaws out. Yes, the way we address our own shortcomings, much like the “speck in your eye” analogy, can provide valuable insights and tools for understanding and helping others navigate their own pain and growth. By first examining and addressing our own imperfections, we develop empathy, humility, and a more grounded perspective, allowing us to offer more effective and compassionate support to others. Understanding ourselves isn’t just introspection for the sake of it; it’s the cornerstone for understanding our partner better, and consequentially, creating a thriving relationship, The basis of interpersonal awareness is empathy, the ability to recognize the emotions and perspectives of others. When others feel we understand them, they feel more heard and connected, and are more likely to listen to what we have to say in return. A lack of self-awareness in relationships can lead to misunderstanding, conflict, dissatisfaction, and, ultimately, the destruction of the bond itself.
The phrase ‘take the plank out of your own eye’ emphasizes the importance of addressing one’s own faults before focusing on the shortcomings of others. Jesus explains that focusing on others’ imperfections while ignoring one’s own is hypocritical and hinders clear judgment. It is hypocritical to focus on the weaknesses of others while ignoring or not aware of how the blindness in our pride keeps us from being lovingly helpful to others, particularly those close to us. It is worth noting the Jesus’ message was not to correct others, but that self-reflection and evaluation is what enables one to have a clearer view of the issue to be corrected. The story of the woman caught in adultery is an illustration of the blindness that can be sustained by self-righteousness (John 8:1-11). When Jesus said ‘let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone! . . . When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest’. Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. That implies we have responsibility to corrector restore one another in love. ‘Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.’ (Galatians 6:1).
Since being honest with our own emotions and empathising with others is at the heart of meaningful relationship and effective communication of the faith we uphold, we look at some of the reasons why we find it hard to critically examine our biases, and the importance of sober judgment.
THE CHALLENGE OF SELF-EXAMINATION
Self-protective armour– This is a way of thinking that insulates what is hidden and protects one from being hurt. The experiences that one has gone through or observed, and the beliefs that are deeply ingrained need protection because they form our foundation. The way we think gives us our survival tactic, it is our worldview, which is a set of fundamental beliefs that we hold about ourselves and the world around us, forming our perspective of how we understand, behave and interact with the world. It influences our philosophy of life, our outlook on life and even our relationships with others.
Expectations of Christian life – The new creation promise of being a new creation hidden in Christ can make us feign joy even when we are having many unresolved issues. The inadequate view of the Christian life makes our spiritual equilibrium lose balance when the reality we are going through plunges us into despair and discouragement. When we clearly follow the laid down path of prayer, the word, fellowship with other believers and we are using every opportunity to make disciples of all nations, and yet there’s evil that happens in our lives for which there is no explanation. Realising that human life is inherently marked by losses and pains, encompassing physical ailments, emotional distress, relational challenges, and real practical struggles, and a Christian is not exempted is hard pill to swallow. How do you explain the occurrence of an earthquake that destroys generational investment in a moment? Rico Villanueva says that people tend to ignore, exclude, and deny complicated realities. He continues to say, ‘It’s not easy to confront them or embrace them. We just deny them, but then, as a result of that, we live a life of continuous denial. That’s why some of the worship in churches, I would say, is shallow, because it has not dealt with our lives when they are in the depths. The mind handles it by refusing to give it attention but instead, look out at what others are going through.’
Survival is for the best – The systems that the society is perpetuating tend to reward pride. It is those who parade their accomplishments, their excellence, blessings and conquests that get noticed and privileged. Ability to brag publicly about one’s achievements is cheered and rewarded and promotion tends to reward personal pridefulness. The voice of those bragging becomes the role models of the society. Those who do not self-promote are not just ignored but also excluded. When realities of life bring death, hurts and losses, the tendency is to deny and pretend that all is well. That enforces a life of continuous denial where people talk of their mountain top experiences moving from one peak to another. That makes for a shallow life that is lived on the surface because of the fear of crumbling if the reality was confronted.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GENUINE SELF-EVALUATION
You cannot give what you do not have – A Christian is one who lives in the reality of what Jesus said ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5). To remain in Christ and have His word renew the mind so that one is able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2). To focus on the what one sees as wrong in another may imply that one has removed the focus in the word of God. Denying and refusing to face the challenging realities we face disqualifies us from gaining the knowledge necessary to help others. ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.’ (2Corinthians 1:3-5).
You know where to take your pain– Prophet Jeremiah, who God knew before he formed him in his mother’s womb, lived in a hostile community. His message was not one of telling the neighbour to smile or give him a high five. He lived a life where he faced the log in his own eye. He had authentic conversation with God ‘Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? You are to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails.’ (Jeremiah 15:18). Jeremiah’s authentic life did not seek to make God look good, and he was able to testify that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and His mercies never come to an end (Lamentations 3:23-24).
Comparisons nourish the spirit of deception – The Christian belief is that God has a specific plan for each believer who has responded to His call to become a child of God. Every believer has a unique role to play in that plan, often described as a calling or purpose. Those who deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Jesus Christ focus on serving others and making God known. ‘We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.’ (2 Corinthians 10:12-13).
Growth and reproduction are at the core of the faith – The unacceptable values and beliefs gathered in one’s journey of life are attributed to others. Coveting, envy, jealousy that are deeply embedded in a person are unconsciously attributed to others. Those beliefs within a person inform their interpretation of the world and their self-perception. So, one thinks the problem is with the other while it is what is in them that is being projected. That flawed view of self is so problematic that one does not realize the need to repent or confess their sin, since they see the problem in the other. That makes communication not clear and so not making the gospel clear. That could explain what Jesus meant when he said to his disciples ‘You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you’ (John 15:3).
As God’s chosen people and part of His royal priests, there is need to ensure that the light within is not darkness. The log that Jesus says needs to be removed are the beliefs that have not been examined against His word. ‘The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23) Jesus Christ is reminding us not to be proud, or arrogant or judgmental as we interact with others playing different roles. It is good to reflect upon our fellowship with the Holy Spirit so as to get the context of how God sees us. Recognize the possible source of that view point. View your concerning perspective with what the bible says. ‘See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness.’ (Luke 11:35) Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in replacing the thoughts with the word of God. That is what makes genuine repentance, forgiveness, and loving others with whom we share the journey of life. Might the most important discovery be the one you make about yourself as you allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart?
“As we gaze upon the cross, it becomes a mirror that reflects our true selves and a magnifier that enlarges our view of who we are. Sadly, this may not always be a pleasant portrayal.” (Charles Martin)