Look in the Mirror

There is only one person I can fix and change.  I am the only person I can fix and change; however, throughout my lifetime, many people have believed it was their duty to fix or change me.  Whether these people are in the church telling me how I must live my life morally, or on the Internet telling me how I must believe or think, they are all wrong.  I discovered on my spiritual journey of overcoming church, that no one is to wag his or her finger at anyone else, but share their flaws and sins with each other. 

Since most of my life this occurred in the church, I searched the Bible to discover where it says that someone needs to come to me in church and tell me my sins or flaws.  It isn’t in the Bible.  What is in scripture is more complete.  “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  James 5:16 (NIV)  This verse informs us that we are to confess our sins one to another.  That means if I have a sin you want me to confess, you must confess your sin to me…first.  Then I confess my sins. No one forces because in confessing to one another, we both realize we are sinners.  Then we will pray together.  Then we will be healed.  That is how the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, because we are working together with someone to repent of our own sins. 

In another passage, Jesus said that if someone sins AGAINST YOU, you are to go to that person in private.  I wonder what Jesus would add if he were on earth today with social media.  The point is Jesus never intended for us to run around and point out other people’s sins.  That’s what the religious leaders of his day were already doing.  He wanted us to do it with love and with God.  Interesting.  Jesus wanted to be included with this confession of sins among people. 

When I understood this and realized that I was in control of my flaws and sins, I changed.  I have so much work to do on myself, that I cannot focus on anyone else’s sins.  If everyone would look in the mirror and begin to focus on his or her own flaws what a beautiful world we would have.  Am I asking for an ideal utopia?  Yes, but that’s not what I want.  What I want is for the church to become what Jesus wants us to become.  He wants us to support one another.  He wants us to pray and confess our sins one to another.  We are all equal in the fact that we have all sinned.  We all need a Savior.  We all need to point our finger at ourselves.  If the church could work on the inside first, then the world around us would change.  Our country is in a quandary.  Will the church help or hurt?  It is up to each and every one of us in the church.  The church is the body of Christ.  We must work together.  We will not be perfect, but our God is perfect, and with him, the work will be accomplished.  We must do our part.