Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3“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? 4How 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? 5You 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.
Matt 7:1-5 NIV
This verse is resonating with me this week. So often we see what others need to change, how others have wronged us, how others should grow. I have praised God in these migraines—one thing He has shown me is who is in my corner, and who is not. He has helped me walk away from situations that were not for me. He has helped me grow in ways I didn’t know possible. I praise Him in that. However, in all that, I am constantly praying that I am not guilty of the above—that I do not find myself flawed in someway that I am blind to due to a plank in my eye.
It’s very much like how at the beginning of all this, I sat and told my patients to take care of themselves, take time for self-care, while literally running myself into the ground and ignoring my own advice. In fact, my taking the time off work, at my physician’s and admin’s advice, was because I wanted to be able to look my patients in the eye, and know that I had done the very thing I encouraged them to do, day in and day out. And today, it’s with a different conviction, but zero judgment, that I encourage my patients to self-care when necessary.
So this week, I am challenging us all, me first, make sure you are appropriately reflecting on yourself. Make sure you are leading growth by example. Make sure you are being the Christ you want to see in others before you ask it of them. Let’s not be so arrogant that we think we have it all figured out—that’s the beginning of the end.