The Lazy Worker
In fact every single time Steve had a break this other guy was resting too.
Reference: v.1 If you think you can judge others, you are wrong. When you judge them, you are really judging yourself guilty, because you do the same things they do. (NCV Bible)
Explore: A colleague of my husbands had a rude awakening awhile ago when he was out working a job. Steve was setting up technical gear for a gig that took a number of hours. It was hard work and every now and again he would stop for a break. At one stage, while Steve was having a rest, he looked across the venue to notice a big guy was having a break as well. In fact every single time Steve had a break, this other guy was resting too. He didn’t want to look too closely, but this made Steve really angry. The job was hard work and if this other guy was resting every five minutes, then the job would never get done. Steve started to think negative thoughts against this other worker, ‘That fat slob, how dare he rest while everyone is working.’ As the day wore on, Steve slowly got his job done, but he still felt really fired up about this other slack worker. When the job was nearly complete, Steve stopped for a drink, only to notice this other guy still resting. He was sick of being polite so he glared across the room at this other guy. Surely Steve’s death stare would show the guy how lazy he was when everyone else was working. However, Steve saw more than he bargained for. In taking a good look at this other guy Steve realised that it was in fact his own reflection glaring back at him. The lazy ‘fat slob’ that Steve had been so angry with was actually a mirror image of his own self!
Application: It’s so easy to point the finger at other people and think that we are better than they are. However, God is very clear about judging others, it is not right and completely hypocritical. And yet judging others seems to be our first response when we are feeling vulnerable and self-righteous. Jesus’ example again and again was not to judge, but to offer grace and love. He encourages us to do the same.
Prayer: Lord, we are so quick to judge and yet we make so many mistakes ourselves. Help us to be quick with grace and love instead. Amen.
Who have you judged? How can you show them love and grace instead?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.