We each have a powerful capability for analyzing faults in people. The problem is, we all have an ingrained tendency to avoid using it on ourselves.1 Learn to introspect as if you were someone else looking at your life as an impartial observer.
Judge yourself as you would judge another.2 Treat yourself as you would treat others.3 Don’t have one standard for yourself and another for others.4 Never criticize another person for a fault that you have.5 Hold yourself to at least the same standard you apply to all others.
Footnotes
- 1. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matthew 7:3) ↩
- 2. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment.... (Deuteronomy 1:17) These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. (Proverbs 24:23) For there is no respect of persons with God. (Romans 2:11) ↩
- 3. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31) If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (James 2:8-9) ↩
- 4. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Deuteronomy 25:13-15) ↩
- 5. Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. (Romans 2:1-2) ↩