Daily Devotional for Friday, January 16

Jesus Used Two Illustrations

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye,” Luke 6:41, 42.

My wife and I like to watch TV. We like to watch different shows, so we naturally watch different televisions. Without fail, my wife will be watching a pretty harmless television show, but the moment I walk into the room, someone on the show will use foul language. I quickly point out to her that she should not be watching that show. And likewise, I will be watching a show that I consider pretty clean; some improper language will pop up on my show, and she will give me the same grief that I had previously given to her. There is a term often used to describe this type of approach to sin: situational ethics.

I describe situational ethics as sin applying to someone else, but not applying to me. In other words, it is wrong that my wife watches a show with cussing in it, but it is apparently okay if I do it. And this is something we are all guilty of from time to time. We are incensed by someone else’s sin but comfortable with our own sin life. It is interesting that we think that what is wrong for someone else is not wrong for us.

It is very easy to see what is wrong with someone else. I would argue we are experts at judging each other’s lives. But God has taken care of judging. “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:31).

CHALLENGE

Do not focus on how someone else is living. Focus on how you are living.

Chris Floyd