Matthew 7:3-5
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Wonder why in God's opinion, He compared our shortcoming as a plank and the shortcoming of others as just a speck? It takes millions and even billions of specks to equal the size of a plank. When God created us, He gives us the freedom of choice and with this freedom comes personal responsibility. We are never responsible for anyone because God has not render that freedom of choice of another person into our hands. However, we are responsible towards people and others around us. If you are constantly frustrated because you are always trying to pin-point someone's mistake and trying to make them change, then get ready for a disappointment. The sad truth is no one person can change another person. Change always starts from oneself; one's own choice.
With that in mind, God has given me a huge responsibility to change myself and not to change other (Relativity comparison). With this freedom of choice entrusted to me, God expect me to spend more time reflecting on my own thoughts, my own actions, my own intention and my own words. Bible says we will never be perfect until we see Jesus. To say there is no limit to how much I can change for the better. However, sometime I spend more time pinpointing other's shortcoming than spending more time developing myself to Christlikeness. Unless I'm perfected( which is far far way off), else I should focus on dealing with my shortcomings than dwelling on the shortcomings of others. If everyone is to take more time dealing with their own shortcomings than trying to deal with the shortcoming of others, the world will be a better place, the church will be a better place, your workplace will be a better place.
Hence God equate my shortcoming as a plank and the shortcoming of others as a speck because God has given me the freedom of choice over my own life, and not the freedom of choice over the lives of others. As the saying goes, more is given, more is also expected. If God has given me full freedom to choose so more is expected over myself to deal with my own shortcoming than that of others. No matter how wrong the other person is, how nasty the other person is, my focus should be constantly dealing with my own shortcoming than pinpointing others' mistakes and trying to change them.
Hence God equate my shortcoming as a plank and the shortcoming of others as a speck because God has given me the freedom of choice over my own life, and not the freedom of choice over the lives of others. As the saying goes, more is given, more is also expected. If God has given me full freedom to choose so more is expected over myself to deal with my own shortcoming than that of others. No matter how wrong the other person is, how nasty the other person is, my focus should be constantly dealing with my own shortcoming than pinpointing others' mistakes and trying to change them.
If God compares a plank in my eyes with a speck in others' eyes, then it must be a plank in my eyes- don't have to argue and say..." but but God, look at them, how can they do this, or how can they do that..." Common sense will tell us that if a person got a speck stuck in his/her eyes, compared to a plank, the one with a plank needs more surgeons to work on him/her. The one with a plank will surely requires more focus and more time to operate on. The one with the plank needs more help. The one with the plank need immediate attention!! Sound common sense....but we are always looking into the specks of others. No wonder we constantly get upset with others...and when God don't seems to change them, we get upset with God.
