Friday, November 8 – Looking at myself first

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven....first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye.”                                         –Luke 6:37, 42 (NRSV)

We have a tendency to find fault in others before we’re willing to admit it within ourselves.  And oddly enough, we often find the faults in others that match our own.  Think about it when you’re ready to complain about someone else’s weaknesses.  Do you exhibit any of those same behaviors?

Margaret Marcuson, a leadership coach and consultant, offers this insight:  “We move from the impossible—controlling others—to the merely difficult—managing ourselves.”

Jesus would have us know the difficulty, the need for mercy, grace, and patience in changing our own behavior before we go out to critique our neighbors.

So, Jesus, what are we working on today?