TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “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? How 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? You 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. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Matthew 7:1–6
DEVOTIONAL
by Pastor Telo Flores
There is nothing wrong with wanting others to hear God’s message. But sometimes, we forget that God’s Word should first transform us before we can share it with others. Jesus reminds us of this truth in today’s passage.
Why is it so easy for us to share God’s message with other people instead of having it shape and transform us first? I think one reason is that we want others to live in a way that benefits us. If everyone around us would imitate Christ and become loving, kind, and generous, then we would benefit from their Christlike love, kindness, and generosity.
However, there is a better way to maximize the value of God’s Word in our lives. We won’t gain much from Scripture if all we do is share its message with others. We must embrace and obey it in our personal lives. The insights we gain from God’s Word are like fine pearls. We must learn to treasure them in our hearts instead of just giving them away.
Christ’s instructions are not unnecessary burdens that we have to comply with within our Christian life. Rather, they are “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Let us make it our priority to have Christ’s instructions saturate our minds and transform our hearts first before sharing it with others.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times we’ve shared Your message without letting it transform us first. Grant us humility to address our own shortcomings before helping others. May Your Word be a treasure in our hearts, shaping us into vessels of Christlike love. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
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