Day 202: Check Yourself

Romans 2:21-24

Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.

I’m sure we are all familiar with the statement, “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.” I especially remember my mom saying it to me whenever I was getting out of line. My mom would always tell us when we were younger, “charity starts at home”. Basically what she meant by that was, everything starts with us, before we can talk about anyone or lead anyone else we have to make sure that we have everything in order. I believe that the above scripture points directly to this statement. I think sometimes we can get caught up in what other people are doing that we don’t step back and take a look at ourselves. This is something I’ve seen happen so much in the church, especially towards the younger generation. We are judged for the lifestyle we lead by older people because they don’t approve. Even if we are leading a life dedicated to Christ, many times people will have a problem in they way that we do that as well.

I have been led by people who told me not to do something while they were doing that very thing, and it baffled me once I found out because I found so many of my elders were telling me what to do simply because they were my elders and apparently I’m required to listen to them. But if you are doing the very thing you're telling me not to do, how is that leadership. This is why many times the church is equated with hypocrisy. However I believe that we can change that and the way to do is highlighted in the scriptures. Check yourself before you check anyone else. There’s a couple of other scriptures I want to point to to drive this message home.

Matthew 7:3-5

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.  

We are in no place to judge, we have to live our lives everyday for ourselves making sure that we are living right. We don’t have time to be judging other people. Yes, we can lead people to Christ and teach them about Christ but first we have to be taught, we have to be led. Many times people become Christians and overnight they turn into someone who all of sudden has the right to point out every sin in someone and let them know that they will be punished by God. I’ve been on both sides of that. We can’t be a Christian for all of two minutes and then think we have so much together that we can start telling other people how to live. We need to learn how to live like Christ first, before we can teach anyone else. We have some specks in our eyes that need to be removed before we can even start to see clearly.

John 8: 7-9

They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”  Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

This is a familiar passage to many of us, and what amazes me the most is that no one was able to cast a stone. No one but Jesus, who was the only one left standing there. These men were all revved up with stones in hand ready to kill this woman, without realizing that they themselves are in the same position as her. The were all sinners as well. Jesus gave them permission to cast the stone but only if they were without sin. At that moment they had to stop and think. They had to examine themselves and see that they were sinners same as this woman.

How many times have we been ready to throw a stone at someone else without checking ourselves first?

All this to say, check yourself. Make sure that you are living the way you’re supposed to before judging anyone else. In order to make the world a better place and advance God’s kingdom we must start with ourselves.

Reflection

1. Do you find yourself judging other people for their lifestyle and choices?
2. Are you without sin?
3. What are some things you need to work on as a Christian?

Prayer Time

Allow your answers to the above questions guide your prayer. Talk to God about what we discussed today, ask Him to search your heart and help you change the things that need to be changed in your life.

I love you and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 203!