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Let’s Be Real

“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? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”¹

If you have ever had a really close relationship with someone, you know that some important components of such relationship are to be authentic and build trust. People don’t like “fakes”. They want to befriend people who are not afraid of being who they are, who are honest with themselves and others, and who take responsibility for their actions.

One of the biggest mistakes that many Christians make, is to believe that they need to have it all together, all the time. In their efforts to be the best Christian they can be, they begin hiding their flaws and hope no one will see them. Over time, they continue suppressing these flaws, telling themselves that all is good, but those flaws are never dealt with as they should. And although these Christian’s have hidden “planks in their eyes”, they believe that because they have hidden it so well, it now gives them permission to go pinpoint the mistakes their neighbor is making. This pattern of behavior is detrimental to their own spiritual health but is also an obstacle when it comes to building genuine relationships with other people. Others might feel inferior to some extent because they are struggling with real life problems and are looking for someone imperfect who is facing the same challenges, or who has faced them in the past and overcome. This type of Christian misses out on many opportunities to be “as Jesus” to others because they have not been real with themselves or with God.

Our stories are meant to be a blessing to others and be a tool God uses to bring people to Himself. Admitting that we are in different stages of our spiritual growth, and sharing our struggles, is a way to create accountability and trust. I am not saying you need to shout your flaws from the rooftops but be aware of the people God brings into your life who need to see the real you… the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for the grace and salvation you have given me. I did nothing to earn or deserve it, yet you gave it to me anyway. Please use both my victories and mistakes to be a testimony to others. Help them find hope for their own faith journey and be drawn closer to you through my genuine words and actions. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’s name, amen.

1.    Matthew 7:3-5.

 

Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.