Pointing Fingers
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. Matthew 7:3-5
When discussing accountability, our focus tends to shift to other individuals. For example, we might question whether we are holding someone else accountable or if others hold another person accountable. However, the critical question that is less frequently asked pertains to our own responsibilities: Do we hold ourselves accountable? It can be challenging to reconcile holding others to a standard that we also apply to ourselves. This distinction often causes confusion. We tend to ask if people maintain the same level of accountability for others as we would. What we should consider instead is whether we hold ourselves to the same standards we impose on others. These questions may appear similar, but they differ significantly: one addresses our perceptions of others, while the other reflects our self-accountability.
Often, we do the former and not the latter, and as a Christian, we should be doing far more of the latter. The thought behind this is quite simple. We are instructed to live a life centered around His teaching and standards. Note that we are not expected to be perfect, for only Christ is. Could that at time require us to speak to others in correction? Yes. However, we should be spending far more time working on our own efforts to be like Him and not dare I say waving the finger at others.
Often, we do the former and not the latter, which goes against the teaching of Jesus Christ. We should strive to live according to the standards set by Him. Note that we are not expected to be perfect as He is, and yes, we still should speak to others in correction. However, we should spend far more time working on our own efforts to be Christ-like rather than pointing fingers at others.
As Christians, it is crucial to prioritize living according to the teachings of Jesus rather than passing judgment on others. Our focus should be on evaluating ourselves against His standards, not with the aim of attaining perfection, but by continuously seeking His guidance and wisdom. While there may be occasions that necessitate correcting others, the primary expectation remains that we measure our actions against His teachings and earnestly seek His counsel in all our decisions.
WReflecting at 2 Peter 2, which addresses the issue of false teachers, I realized that many individuals, including preachers, often use this passage to criticize others, claiming their own righteousness while labelling others as 'false teachers.' I have made such assertions myself. However, this led me to introspect whether I was acting as a false teacher, intent on proving others wrong to validate my own views. It prompted me to question if I was adhering to the standards upheld by Jesus.
This introspection caused me to rethink my approach and concentrate on what Jesus would have me do, rather than judging the behaviors of others. The question stopped being, “How are you acting as a Christian?” and became, “Is this who we are as Christians? Am I best representing Christ by acting in this fashion?”
Our journey as Christians is one of continuous growth and self-examination. As we strive to follow the teachings of Jesus, it is essential that we look inward and hold ourselves accountable to His standards. In the words of the Apostle Paul, " Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." (2 Corinthians 13:5). By doing so, we can better understand our own shortcomings and seek His guidance to overcome them. It is only then that we may humbly approach others with the same wisdom and guidance that Jesus Himself gives us. Let us reflect on our own actions and ask, "Am I truly living as a representative of Christ?" Where do we need to test our faith? My prayer is before we judge others, we follow the advice of James 1:19b, being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry so that we avoid pointing the finger at others. Amen.