Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3 ESV)
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:4 – 7:5 ESV)
It is very easy to see specks or faults in other people yet ignore abominations and serious flaws in our own lives. Log is much bigger than speck. Typically, most humans expect perfection from others. They look at the world through the lens of black and white. If you are not as perfect as they want you to be, you become evil and unlovable but the truth is that no human can be perfect.
The sooner we start loving flawed and very flawed human beings the better for us. We are expected to love everyone like God who makes His light shine on the good and bad without discrimination. Anyone can love a very good and kind person who constantly sacrifices for them and is good to them. The challenge has always been the ability to love the unkind, evil and no so good.
Humans typically focus on all the unlovable and bad traits in others and simply refuse to love them, however, they love their own immediate families, defend them, and make excuses for them regardless of how bad they are. That is to show you that man is inherently selfish by nature. The problem is not love but selfishness. Most humans only love themselves and their own. That is why the worst dictator, murderer, and criminal loves his family but goes around harming others.
Love will always be a challenge if we do not learn to overlook other people’s flaws and begin to look inwards. We must start with “ the man in the mirror staring back at us.”
It is better for us to start removing the log in our eyes so that we will be better at love. When we remove those logs, we can then see clearly and appreciate the man next door.
