Remove Your Plank, and Leave My Splinter Alone

 Remove Your Plank, and Leave My Splinter Alone

Have you ever found yourself going down the rabbit hole with someone on social media and having a political argument? I would say debate or discussion, but in the social media world, that seldom exists. In the recent past, I have discovered that perfect people who have knowledge about every political agenda exist. I didn’t think they did, but I’ve seen their posts. They make claims that if you even slightly disagree, they will tear you apart with words to berate you. It makes you wonder if they have been this evil with their words all along and you haven’t noticed it, or if you or they have changed. 

Let me the one to break the news to you. No one is perfect. No one has all the knowledge, especially with political fodder. Most of the political fodder is incorrect information anyway, so how could anyone on social media have all the answers and all the knowledge? Once we realize that we don’t have all the answers, and we are not perfect, maybe we could begin to understand the damage we are doing when we judge others for the splinters, we think we see in the eyes of others. 

Many Christians tout that the Bible informs us that we must judge others, especially in the arena of sin. They are partially right. I don’t like being partially right. I either want to be right or wrong. The partial part gets me in trouble. It turns the mirror onto me.  Maybe we need to have the mirror turned on us. For the few passages that inform us to judge others, there are some perimeters. First, you only judge the Christians. Second, you must be worthy to judge. Third, you must realize that you too will be judged in the same manner that you judge. So, if we are going to judge, let’s first turn the mirror on ourselves and investigate our own lives. 

The first person to judge is yourself. What sin are you struggling with? How do you want other people to treat you if they discover that you have this sin in your life? Do you want the experts who have never struggled with this sin to inform you how perfect they are? Do you want the experts to berate you for your sin or flaw? Do you want the experts to explain that you should have done life like they did? Most of us would answer those questions with the word, “No,” So why do we do it? 

If we can focus on the sins and flaws of others, we can hide from our own sins and flaws. As an avid viewer of Lifetime movies, I have discovered that serial killers are the best at focusing on the splinters in the eyes of others and avoiding the plank of their murders in their own eyes. It may not be physical murder, but Christians do the exact same thing as they destroy others with boasting on their perfections and exposing that those who are not as perfect as they are in an area are flawed and sinful. If we can avoid our own sins, then people will perceive us as righteous, holy, and good. If they knew our sins, then they would see us as evil. 

If we focus on ourselves, we can help guide others out of their sins. We would begin to have empathy. If we realize that we have a sin with which we struggle, then we have empathy for those who have a sin that is different from ours. If we took time to investigate the reasons why some people may struggle with these sins, we then can gain some empathy. Looking into the reasons of why people indulge in the sins that they do means we must have relationships with people who sin differently than us. Instead of berating them for their sins and flaws, we understand they have a struggle. With that understanding, we know how to approach them. 

If we truly want someone to rid a sin in their life because it is harming their own life, then we must discover the way in which we inform people of their flaws and sins. The Bible gives the perfect blueprint. 

Jesus laid out the path for us. If someone has offended you, go to them in private. Social media posts are not private. If they do not listen, then bring two or three witnesses with you. If that doesn’t work, then take them to the leaders. If that doesn’t work, treat them like an outsider because you are not going to convince them that they are wrong. Along with the passage in Matthew 18, we have another blueprint in James. 

In the small book of James, there lies a huge piece of evidence of how to confront people with their sins. “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) We like that last sentence. However, our prayer is powerful and effective because we are righteous when we confess our sins to one another. That first sentence gets us. It doesn’t say, “Walk up to me and point out my sins.” It also doesn’t say, “On social media, claim how horrible I am because of my sin.” It says I need to hear your sin first. We are to confess our sins to each other. If you don’t want to confess your sins, don’t point out the sins of others. 

Our society is divided. Everyone believes that their way is the most perfect and right way to live. We must treat others as we want to be treated. It starts when we fix the flaws in our own lives. Then, when we connect with others, we are more aware of our own sins than we are of theirs. We realize that judging people whom we do not know is not our task in life. The more we work on our own sins and flaws, the more we bring people into the presence of Jesus, which is the ultimate goal. It all starts when we begin to remove the plank from our own eye. 

First Day of School

 The night before the first day of school is full of anticipation. All my supplies are new and ready to go. Most of my supplies are ready to go. I have to find a new lunchbox. I go through my closet and begin to pick out the outfit for the first day and put it in a prominent place for the morning. I hope to continue this habit for the rest of the school year. starting with good habits is always helpful. It’s keeping those good habits that can hinder us. 

I go to bed at an uncharacteristic early time so that I can have proper rest for the first day of school. Another habit that I have begun to develop. Proper rest creates a great day at school for everyone. Rest. Some Christians have created an evil standard around rest. They are wrong. Rest is essential for us to maintain and grow in our faith. Children should have a proper bedtime. We are all children of God. We all must have a proper bedtime. 

As I step onto the campus, I am a bundle of nerves. Seeing friends for the first time in six weeks brings joy, but the anticipation of the work set before me looms in my mind. All the preparation for the first day is essential to a great year. Organization is a learned skill for most people. It is a habit that also must be developed. Some people believe that they are born organized. They are born with the desire that life around them is organized and runs without disruptions. Organization doesn’t eliminate disruptions. It prepares us for those times that we have them so we can still be successful when they occur. 

I decided this year that I will start my days with prayer. Of course, I have my quiet time and prayer within that, but prayer for my school on my own in my own space must occur so that I can remind myself that I am not there to be the best, the most well liked, or the leader, but to bring people into the presence of Jesus. That doesn’t have to be done with words. It can be done with my attitude and actions, which prayer will remind me to do every single day. 

The bell rings and everyone hustles into their first class. As everyone enters my first class, they all stare at me. I smile and greet them. Then, after a few award minutes, I introduce myself. “Good morning, I’m your teacher. Welcome to the first day of school for what I hope will be the best year for you in high school.” 

We all need a new first day. Whether you are in school or not, we all need to start anew. Choose a day to be your first day to create a new habit. Restart. Refuel. It changes you and the people around you. Then, when you walk into your space, your confidence is strong and your influence is even stronger. 

Having Faith in a Fearmongering World

For two years, our world was shut down because of Covid. Every single day our media outlets informed us, and some still inform us, how many Covid cases there were, how many were in the hospital, and how many deaths. Our leaders and the media spread fear. There is a basic reason for people spreading fear. If we fear, then they can control us. If we have faith and take even a small risk, we are out of their control. Faith is never controlled. 

For centuries, leaders in the church have attempted to control the followers of Jesus. They always used fear, which in many forms is the use of works. If they can control the followers of Jesus, they believe that they do not look bad as leaders s because the people’s behavior appears obedient to the Bible. The faithful Christians continued to live their lives by faith, and with Jesus, they changed the world. If we want to change the world, we must live by faith and not fear. The Bible does say to fear God. Our church leaders have for centuries had people fearing them over God. That is the problem. 

When we choose to fear, we live within perimeters. We choose not to crossover into unknown territory. We don’t change, which means we don’t grow. We become envious of those who are successful, and instead of admiring their successes, we insult and invalidate their work with terms that trigger people’s emotions that sound good but are guilt shaming people. We guilt shame people because we are too afraid to take a risk and live by faith and do what we are demanding that they do. 

In no way am I advocating for people to live recklessly. Having faith is not reckless, until you begin to think about it. This summer for the first time since early 2020, I got in a metal tube, and with a pilot I do not know, I flew in the sky over 40,000 feet to the other side of the country. Whether you are an atheist or a believer in God, flying requires faith in something and someone. It doesn’t seem reckless to fly on a commercial airline, but it does require faith. It doesn’t mean that people don’t have healthy fears, like choosing a specific airline, but living by faith requires us to step away from fear and trust. Faith requires trust. 

We must trust God even when life is full of trials, and we cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. We were never promised an easy and comfortable life. God has promised us that he will be with us. Last summer was stressful as we moved. It was chaotic. Nothing went as planned, including the movers forgetting that they scheduled us to move. Then, I went back to the classroom to teach. I love the students; however, it was the worst year I have ever experienced in education. Every teacher in America will tell you the same thing. In the mess and chaos, I saw God work in my coworkers, my students, and in me. God is with us in the chaos. I also had to choose to have faith in the chaos. I refused to just walk away and give up on my students and myself. I pressed forward. 

In some parts of my life, I have created the chaos. In my first few years of youth ministry, I was unorganized. It would cause stress in my leaders and me. From an event where I became the victim of the leader’s disorganization, I learned that creating chaos creates distrust and faith is difficult to find. When we create chaos, we must turn to God and other human beings to help us out of the situation, but if we do not learn from it, then we just got rescued and our faith plateaus. When our faith plateaus, we question where God is, and then we begin to question if God cares for us or if He even exists. We must work to create peace in our lives so we can manage the chaos that interrupts us. 

It's not about doing activities that require risk, that builds faith over fear. It’s an inward peace that brings calm. One of the aspects of having faith over fear is peace. We must create peace in our lives amidst the chaos. Peace doesn’t appear. It is created. Peace is not what the world gives, which is no chaos or no violence, but peace is being strong when the chaos hits and understanding your role. 

When we take time to rest, peace abounds in our soul. Summertime is a time of rest as the days linger and beg for us to stop and enjoy God’s creation. Whether it is taking time to read a book, sitting on the porch, and reflecting on the sunset or sunrise, or taking a vacation away from the noise, summertime reminds us that we all must take time away from the busyness. Our jobs can have us take a day away from them. We must take time to rest. We must understand that God took time to rest, and we can too. 

Staying healthy with rest, food, and exercise brings peace to our souls. We understand that we are a whole body and not just one dimensional. God commanded us to rest. He created a day for us to remember to rest because He knew that our physical bodies needed it. We must be healthy because in times of a crisis, a healthy person makes the best decisions. A person who is unhealthy harms others and themselves. 

Having faith doesn’t mean being reckless but taking a risk that doesn’t harm but helps. Since the world has made us fearful in the past two years, many people stopped taking risks with their talents, gifts, careers, and relationships. Without risk, you don’t change. Without change you don’t grow. When you don’t grow, you become stagnant. When you are stagnant, you begin to question why other people are successful. Then, you begin to wonder if God loves you less than others because you are not doing what you want to be doing. The downward spiral happens slowly, but when you crash, you are in a deep dark hole without faith and a whole lot of fear. 

Taking a risk requires curiosity, which requires you asking questions of what should be done. If you are curious of why you have a passion, you must research your heart and the reason why you are passionate about that subject. God has given us passions that match our gifts and talents. If we do not use the gifts and talents that he gave us, we are not having faith. Faith becomes real when we choose to do that for which we have a passion. 

So, let us live the rest of this year with our passions and becoming faithful. As we are faithful, we will gain faith and the fear will slowly fade away because we are too busy focusing on what we are doing and what we can control in our lives rather than focusing on what we cannot control. Focus brings faith. Focus on Jesus. Focus on what you can do and what you can control. Before you know it, your focus will reveal your faith, which will diminish your fear.