I suspect few things rankle God more than our critical spirits, used on others to avoid looking at ourselves.
In fact, Jesus makes this clear (Matthew 7):
Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults--unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.We set ourselves in sneer mode every time we hold a grudge, stay angry, withhold embrace, judge from our vantage point, remain locked in unforgiveness, exercise bitter.
Jesus kindly chose to die a bludgeoning death to say there is a better way:
Forgive and truly live, or
Exercise your right to hold onto that which makes you more holy.The rest of the passage in Matthew 7:
It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer of off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.We measure restoration by comparing ourselves to other people, finding a bit of holy for ourselves. In truth, not one of us has a holy fiber in our bodies.
Holiness is the exclusive domain of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.Holiness breathed its last on the cross to move inside of us. As believers, we can live out of learned holiness; God's mercy becomes our soul's new seat and drives our hearts to forgive and thus, truly live.
An unbeliever who exercises life-reckoning forgiveness, even before he calls on the name of Christ, may know Jesus better than our holier-than-thou selves. No taunts--simply embracing and paying forward what Jesus did on the cross.
Lord, please carry us to the place where we, as believers, undeniably speak your heart through forgiveness.Comments are welcome at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
