Plank syndrome

“Therefore,  my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 3:12

Over the course of my new life in Christ I have become quite expert at diagnosing and correcting the problems of others in this life of faith.  Even from a distance, I can tell what is wrong with you and determine what needs to be done to fix it.

There’s only one problem…..it would be the plank.  You know, the one that’s in my eye.

While it is scriptural to look after others and be concerned for the state of their soul, I better be sure that I am tending after my own spiritual condition and heeding what the Spirit of God is saying regarding the condition of my own heart. 

The Lord deals with me in a fairly consistent way when I begin to have judgmental thoughts towards another believer.  In a short period of time after I begin to have these thoughts, the Lord will bring me into a situation where I have a conversation with this person, or learn something about them from someone else, regarding the reality of their situation or the depth of their struggle.  In those moments it’s as if a spotlight is shining on me, exposing the hardness and ugliness of my heart, and contrasting it with the humility and brokenness of the other believer. 

I am slowly recovering from plank syndrome.  The medicine God is giving for it is quite effective.