"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, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." -- Luke 6:41-42

Whenever we read a good book, see a great movie, or hear a cool song, the first thing we often want to do is share it.  Because we love those people in our life, it's right to want to share those things we take pleasure in.  But there's another side to sharing in which we must take caution.  We hear tips on how to lose weight, how to organize, how to be a better __________, and we think of that person close to us, and say, "Here you gotta hear this!  When I heard it, I thought of you..."  Or we sit in church and listen to the preacher speak and in our minds think, "and of course they didn't come today... this sermon is for them.  I'm going to get a recording of it so that they can hear it."  Forgetting of course, that there is a message for us.

It's easy to look and find how the things in your life are messed up, and how the people around you are messed up even more.  It's easy to feel unease in life, and in your dissatisfaction, blame the circumstances and the people in your life instead of yourself.  If you want want change, don't focus on changing others, change yourself instead.  If you want someone to be better, inspire them, don't judge them.  Trust me, you're messed up too.  If you don't think you are, ask around, people will be glad to show you in what ways.  The beauty of it though, is that we're all in need of work.  We're all broken, imperfect, and in progress.  Once we accept that truth, we'll be more compassionate, grace-filled, and patient with one another.   Help each other, don't judge each other.

Readings:  Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Luke 6:39-7:10; Psalm 68:1-18; Proverbs 11:28