It has happened again. I have spent so much time focusing on someone else’s shortcomings that mine were able to sneak up from behind and bite me in the rear end. There is a verse in the Bible that says we should not spend all our time trying to get the tiny little speck out of our brother’s eye when we have a gigantic beam sticking out of our own.
You would think this would be obvious advice, but thankfully God put this verse in there for people like me. Unfortunately, it is a lesson I have not quite learned. It is so much more fun to point out the mistakes of others than take time to examine mine. It is much less painful, as well.
They say confession is good for the soul — so here it goes.
Several weeks ago I had decided my husband was not living up to his responsibilities as a husband and father. We “churchy” women will often call this “not being the spiritual leader of the home”. There were some issues in our family and I just didn’t think he was saying, or doing, the right things. Loosely translated, this means he wasn’t doing things my way.
I had expressed my feelings of frustration with his decisions but being the good “churchy” wife that I am, I was going to trust him. NOT!!!
Anyway, I said with my mouth — but definitely not my heart — that I would go along with his decisions. So since I couldn’t complain to him anymore I thought I should talk to God about him. It really was more like tattling to God about him. I wanted to make sure God knew what this man was and was not doing. I wanted God to do something about it and I wanted Him to do it right now!
My prayer time – tattling – took place on a Sunday morning in my shower. I was re-hashing the conversation from the previous week and lamenting the lack of what I regarded as Donald’s spiritual sensitivity. Oh yes, I was on my high horse. About that time he came into the bathroom and I can’t remember exactly what he said, but it had something to do with us going to church that morning. I curtly replied something about him doing whatever he wanted, that I was not in charge of his spiritual life. Yes, there was a little voice in my head saying, “STOP!” But did I listen? No.
You would think this would be obvious advice, but thankfully God put this verse in there for people like me. Unfortunately, it is a lesson I have not quite learned. It is so much more fun to point out the mistakes of others than take time to examine mine. It is much less painful, as well.
They say confession is good for the soul — so here it goes.
Several weeks ago I had decided my husband was not living up to his responsibilities as a husband and father. We “churchy” women will often call this “not being the spiritual leader of the home”. There were some issues in our family and I just didn’t think he was saying, or doing, the right things. Loosely translated, this means he wasn’t doing things my way.
I had expressed my feelings of frustration with his decisions but being the good “churchy” wife that I am, I was going to trust him. NOT!!!
Anyway, I said with my mouth — but definitely not my heart — that I would go along with his decisions. So since I couldn’t complain to him anymore I thought I should talk to God about him. It really was more like tattling to God about him. I wanted to make sure God knew what this man was and was not doing. I wanted God to do something about it and I wanted Him to do it right now!
My prayer time – tattling – took place on a Sunday morning in my shower. I was re-hashing the conversation from the previous week and lamenting the lack of what I regarded as Donald’s spiritual sensitivity. Oh yes, I was on my high horse. About that time he came into the bathroom and I can’t remember exactly what he said, but it had something to do with us going to church that morning. I curtly replied something about him doing whatever he wanted, that I was not in charge of his spiritual life. Yes, there was a little voice in my head saying, “STOP!” But did I listen? No.
Now, while I was doing all this tattling on Donald I was also using my specialty beauty products. Let add that when I got in the shower, I knew I had exactly 40 minutes to be ready to walk out the door so we could arrive at church on time.
I am never ready on time; my husband is always ready to leave on time. Yes, I know we could go right to the beam and speck verse right now, but I am still picking away at his speck at this point in the story.
I am never ready on time; my husband is always ready to leave on time. Yes, I know we could go right to the beam and speck verse right now, but I am still picking away at his speck at this point in the story.
Donald comes into the bathroom again and asks, “Do you want me to wait for you or should I just meet you at church?” I replied, “Do whatever you want.” Yes, I had a tone.
He left and went on to Sunday School without me, something he usually doesn’t do. Some of you might think this would make me mad but actually, I was thrilled. Somehow I saw this as an answer to my tattling — that man was going to go worship his God with or without me. Good for him! I was just beginning to talk to God again — between my lovely spa treatments — telling Him ‘thank you’ for this answer to my prayers. But before I could even get the words formulated and out of my mouth, it felt like someone grabbed my tongue.
It hit me. I was standing in the shower, taking my own sweet time pampering myself instead of getting myself to church on time. Yet the husband that I had been complaining about not being spiritual enough and not leading our family like I thought he should was on his way to church!
Oh, I didn’t hear a voice, but I got the message loud and clear. That man and his God were just fine; I, on the other hand, had some explaining to do. Why was I still in the shower exfoliating? Seems someone’s priorities might have been out of line, but they sure weren’t his.
Ouch! That beam was really starting to bother me. I thought to myself, when I finish exfoliating I might want to find a big pair of tweezers and start removing that thing. I am sure it will be quite painful and I am sure I won’t get all of it out this time. But, I will quit picking at that speck in my husband’s eye – at least for a little while.
He left and went on to Sunday School without me, something he usually doesn’t do. Some of you might think this would make me mad but actually, I was thrilled. Somehow I saw this as an answer to my tattling — that man was going to go worship his God with or without me. Good for him! I was just beginning to talk to God again — between my lovely spa treatments — telling Him ‘thank you’ for this answer to my prayers. But before I could even get the words formulated and out of my mouth, it felt like someone grabbed my tongue.
It hit me. I was standing in the shower, taking my own sweet time pampering myself instead of getting myself to church on time. Yet the husband that I had been complaining about not being spiritual enough and not leading our family like I thought he should was on his way to church!
Oh, I didn’t hear a voice, but I got the message loud and clear. That man and his God were just fine; I, on the other hand, had some explaining to do. Why was I still in the shower exfoliating? Seems someone’s priorities might have been out of line, but they sure weren’t his.
Ouch! That beam was really starting to bother me. I thought to myself, when I finish exfoliating I might want to find a big pair of tweezers and start removing that thing. I am sure it will be quite painful and I am sure I won’t get all of it out this time. But, I will quit picking at that speck in my husband’s eye – at least for a little while.
