Father’s Day is coming up this weekend and as I pondered upon it, I was reminded of the turmoil and unrest in our country today and how this has led many to pull down statues of our national forbearers or condemn them all as wicked due to the unethical practices of their day. No doubt, some of them were wicked men who should not be admired. Others, despite certain failings, were honorable people and even some, men of genuine faith in God and Christ. And yet, even the best of them were imperfect sinners who had much to learn and were in need of great change – just like you and me. The Bible says we are all sinners (Romans 3:9,10 “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one”). We are all in need of change and anyone looking at us from the outside will certainly find faults in us – if that’s what they are looking for.

This brings me to my point, which is not a political one but a spiritual. While we are so quick to condemn those we have never met, never spoken to, and in reality know very little about, we are very indifferent towards our own personal failings which should be our focus: not the past but the present, and not others but ourselves. Let’s look at a couple passages of Scripture which relate to this topic.

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote [speck] that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. Romans 14:10-13

You see then that while we curse and berate others for their sins, Christ is trying to get us to examine our own. It is “human nature” to pass the blame or to condemn others. It is the divine nature in God’s children which compels them to search themselves, discover their faults, confess them to God, and then seek His help and guidance in changing them. We will see no change in the overall condition of our society or our own personal lives if we think the answer is pulling down statues and berating those who disagree with us. The answer is found only in Jesus Christ and in the honest assessment of our relationship with Him and obedience to His Word. Just a few more verses to go home with today.

• I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins [our own personal sins], he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Psalm139:23,24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
• Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”