Excerpts from The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
Book 1 Chapter 14
On Avoiding Rash Judgment
In judging others a man laboureth in vain;
he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin;
but in judging and examining himself
he always laboureth to good purpose.
"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?"
Matthew 7:3 (NIV)
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,
but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Matthew 7:3 (KJV)
The King James version likens our sin to a beam, not merely a plank. I picture a lodgepole pine tree; not some puny 2" X 4" board.
We have a tree trunk in our eye! Several, actually. And we love to fret and complain about the speck in our brother's eye.
Dear Lord, help me not to unfairly judge others. Help me not to grumble in my mind over little petty things whilst ignoring my own faults.
(Photo taken by my son on the Texas Gulf coast. Notice that you can see lots of beams, but nary a mote.)
2 comments:
One of my favorite author. He has thought provoking devotions! I find myself having to take time after I read them and really think about it. Very convicting at times. Thankyou! Hope all is well with you and your family.
Debylin
Agreed! I have to read him very slowly. Reread. Digest. Read again. It's partly because I'm reading a translation in the King James style, so it takes me a little longer to process some sections. But, I like it that way. It also helps me to imagine Kempis working away at the monastery so many years ago!
We're doing well. Thanks.
And I see that you've been in Texas for a month already! I told my family at dinner about your encounter with scorpions. They were impressed! (And thankful that we live further north!)
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