Biweekly Devotional 9-8-2026
Published by Pastor Harry Zuraski in Biweekly Devotional · Tuesday 08 Sep 2026 · 2 minutes
Tags: Biweekly, Devotional, 9, 8, 2026
Tags: Biweekly, Devotional, 9, 8, 2026
Matthew 7:1 – 5 (The Message)
7 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.
A Call to Self-Examination
How often have we been critical of someone else? We see what they are doing and wonder how they cannot recognize that they are wrong. Yet Jesus reminds us to look honestly at ourselves before pointing out the failures of another.
Too often, we focus on the sins of others as a way to distract from our own shortcomings. By placing the shame of failure on someone else, we avoid looking too closely at the places where we ourselves need grace, growth, and correction.
Take a moment to meditate on today’s scripture and be honest with yourself. We live in a world that often creates hierarchies, encouraging us to measure our worth by comparing ourselves to others. Too often, we try to raise ourselves up by lowering someone else, instead of doing the harder work of becoming more faithful, loving, and Christlike.
Rather than using another person’s failures to elevate our own position, we are called to concern ourselves with walking more closely in the way Jesus commanded. That begins with admitting our own shortcomings, asking God to help us grow, and extending grace to others. As we offer grace, we also become more open to receiving the grace that God so freely gives.
