Noses

Well, we finally got snow. Lots of it. We’ve already shoveled and yet, there is still more. I enjoy the different attitudes about snow. It’s either: ugh, I hate this, or yay! Snow! For me, I fall somewhere in the middle. I enjoy looking out my window and seeing white, not brown and muddy. I’m not a huge fan of driving in it or knowing loved ones are.

I’ve been staring out my window for a long time. Those words of Jesus in Matthew 7 are rolling around my mind as I consider 1 John 3. It’s super easy for me to look over my nose and know what is best for everyone else. Offer advice.

“Why do you look at the [insignificant] speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice and acknowledge the [egregious] log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me get the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite (play-actor, pretender), first get the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭AMP‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/1588/mat.7.3-5.AMP

Basically, Jesus is saying to us here, worry about your own stuff. Stop looking outward for flaws when I certainly have enough that I am working on and processing. My judgements, my thoughts, and even my actions are really enough. How hard this is! We read a news story. We make a judgement. We decide. We discuss. We figure out the best solution for a story that we don’t have all the information. The 411.

“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.3.11-15.ESV

We should love one another. We have an example of what to avoid. Cain. That discomfort of knowing that you are not walking right. Knowing your brother has been giving from his heart, his love. The conviction of the heart, Cain couldn’t handle it. He killed his brother, rather than face his heart. He is deemed evil.

I don’t have to be street preacher to let people know my heart. I don’t have to wear clothes that says, I love Jesus, for the love of God to be seen through me. The more I pray for those who frustrate or sadden me, the less I am forming judgements and conclusions that are not mine to make. John makes its simple.

“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/1jn.3.16-18.ESV

Love laid down. Love gave up his life for us. Love moves us to drop the judgements and serve. I remember I was downtown many years ago, holding a box of leftovers, and a man asked if he could have them. He was hungry. I didn’t give it to him. This haunts me to this day. Do you have things that you know the Spirit laid on your heart to do and you ignore? I’ll never forget that split second decision. It’s framed for me my interactions since.

If I see someone in need, and have the resources to help? That is love. Help. See the world past our noses not with judgement, but with care. Let’s stop talking and let’s do.