From the Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
A well-known adage about the danger of criticism goes like this: “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
In other words, don’t criticize someone who has the same faults as you have, or don’t gossip about people if you have secrets of your own.
Jesus has another way of putting it: “First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matt.7:5).
I’m not quite sure why it is, but we seem to be experts at detecting faults in others, yet oblivious to our own.
We’re forgetting, of course, that others around us have the same x-ray vision for our faults as we have for theirs.
It’s amazing, however, that when we compliment rather than criticize, everyone’s faults seem less glaring all of a sudden. If we listened more and talked less we probably wouldn’t criticize so much.
James, the brother of Jesus, once said, “Everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”
Perhaps that is why God gave us two ears and only one mouth.
Why do we so often act as if it’s the other way around?
Let’s get with the program, people!
Use a little Windex on your glass house!
