The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "PEACE OF Jesus" for Sunday, 1 May 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 7:1-12

The Upper Room Daily Devotional from Nashville, Tennessee, United States "PEACE OF Jesus" for Sunday, 1 May 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 7: A Simple Guide for Behavior
1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
6 “Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege.
7-11 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
12 “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
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When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.[Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)]
My job required me to run long computer reports for the engineering department. One day, the programming department asked me to stop running the reports in order to run their software tests. Even though I was behind schedule, I did so. But the software tests kept failing. The programmers kept modifying the software, which then required more testing.
My patience waned, and I became angry. I felt that resources were being wasted. Instead of asking if their tests could be run later, I belittled the programmers in front of other people. I thought my critical statements made me look important, but later I realized that they only made me look foolish. Angry, prideful, and judgmental, I had forgotten the Golden Rule: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matt. 7:12).
My pride and impatience blinded my judgment. I now wish I could take back my actions from that day. Criticizing others for a fault while remaining blind to my own considerable fault is hypocritical. Jesus taught, “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). After much soul-searching and Bible study, I now know that God is gracious to me and calls me to be gracious to others.
The Author: Les C. Brisbois (Arizona, USA)
Thought for the Day: God does not hold my sins against me.
Prayer: Almighty God, I thank you for your steadfast grace. Help us to remain on a path of humility and love. Amen.
Prayer focus: SOMEONE STRUGGLING WITH IMPATIENCE---------------------