Devotion
The blind spot: quick to judge, slow to see ourselves
“David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!”
2 Samuel 12:5
David hears the story and erupts. He's ready to hand down a death sentence for a man who stole a lamb — never realizing he's describing himself.
It's a stunning moment. David, who took another man's wife and had him killed, is outraged over a lesser crime. He can see sin clearly — as long as it belongs to someone else. We're all wired this way. We spot the speck in someone else's eye with perfect vision while a plank sits in our own. Judging others is often the disguise our own guilt wears. But God won't leave David there. He lets David pronounce the verdict so that David can finally see the verdict is on himself. Sin thrives in the blind spot; repentance begins the moment light reaches it.
Practice
Whose failures have you been quick to judge lately? Try turning that same standard on yourself. The very thing that most irritates you in others is often something God wants to address in you. This week, when you feel that flash of outrage at someone else, pause and ask: "Lord, is there any of this in me?"
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for being an expert on everyone's sin but my own. Search me and show me my blind spots. Where I've been harsh with others, make me honest with myself, and lead me back to You. Amen.