MY OWN HEART FIRST - Ez 3:10

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 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? 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? 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.” Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)

It is so easy to see what is wrong with someone else. I’m a profession at making recommendations, a novice at making personal changes. I’m working to focus on self improvement – but it concerns me, I need to focus. It requires no effort to fix my friends or family.

There is a great saying, “Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before criticizing them.” This statement was proved true again this past week while I working in my middle son’s classroom. I’ve never been tempted to criticize his teacher because she seems to be doing a great job – but working with 26 First and Second Graders for 4 hours will help you resolve to never think remotely critical again.

However, this fresh realization was not the most illuminating discovering that day. It was actually a walk back from recess alongside another teacher carrying the only two four-square balls to be shared by 400 children. I asked her if my son could bring a ball to be shared by his classroom because he was not certain he could. She said, “Yes, but also went on to say how she was applying for a grant to buy balls for the school.” A grant for purchasing balls, are you serious? In America, we need to apply for a grant to buy balls for children attending school. As I thought about it, another question came to mind, "Do we really want our teachers writing grants to purchase balls?" It’s weird and so unrelated to their primary function. The reality: few of us really understand the pressure and demands on American teachers from writing grants for play equipment to helping emotionally troubled children, and to teaching second-language learners.

Jesus said, “Don’t judge.” If you do judge, then you will be judged by the same measure you lay down on someone else. He challenges us to start by inspecting our lives, pointing us to remove the log in our lives before confronting our fellow brothers and sisters to remove their speck. The big idea: God wants me to deal with My Own Heart First.

This is the topic for my next Sunday sermon. Let his Word sink deep into your heart before you go out to challenge the world. Let his Word transform you before you confront evil face to face. If you don't deal with Your Heart First, then you are positioned to fail.