Something in Common

 

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

Recently I spent time with two women who are very dear to me. I want for both of them, what I want for everyone I know, for them to know and feel the love of Jesus.

Both women are “Christians.” They both attend church. One of them is extremely active and committed to her church. The other one vacillates between a couple of different churches but she also is involved with in a Bible study.

After spending a few days with the two of them together I was given each one's perspective on the other. Both of them said basically the same thing. Each women is worried about the others lack of peace and contentment. “She seems so angry.” Was spoken by both of them about the other. While I absolutely agree that each one is angry and peace is lacking in both lives, in very different ways, what I found amusing was that they could see it in each other, but not in themselves.

Thinking about it later I realized that though the circumstances of their lives are very different and the things that make them anxious are quite diverse, the root cause of the angst is exactly the same. Neither of them is truly in a relationship with Jesus and both of them would be appalled to hear me say that.

It may sound like a judgment to you too, as you read those words. Who am I to say anything about another woman's relationship with Jesus? I'll answer with this, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:16a

This is not to say that these are “bad” people with “bad' fruit. They are both lovely women but I would say, with no fruit. One is doing great things in church, so an organization benefits and that is good. Maybe it's even fruit but it's not planted, if you will, for the right reason. The other is checking the right boxes, listening to “Christian” music, attending church and Bible study but it stops there. In both lives there is anger, a lot of anger and the erroneous belief that you have to look out for yourself. Ironic since both of them get a lot of support, in differing ways, from a lot of people.

They just made me wonder how many of us do just what they did and how often? We look at someone else and see the major issue in her life. Do we step back and ask ourselves, “Could that be my issue too?”

Standing outside it was easy for me to see that all those ladies need is to truly surrender to Jesus, to admit that control is not in their hands. My prayer now is that as they think about each other and in coming to an answer for the other lady, they will find their own answer as well.