Wait---You want me to do what?!

Go and look at yourself right now. Really, find a mirror and give yourself an overview. What did you see? I bet you only thought about your outside appearance (i.e. my clothes, my bad hair day, my pants that are too tight). How many of you thought about more than your outside appearance and looked deeper into your soul? Did you ever notice how easy it is to find fault with everyone else with the exception of the King of the Universe (that is you by the way). It is like we are naturally geared to analyze everyone we come in contact with and just ignore ourselves along the way. It is interesting that Jesus addresses this very issue with some of His most challenging words: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the log that is in your own?" (Matthew 7:3). Jesus certainly had a way with making complex issues simple with such vivid word pictures. Imagine someone walking around with a Red Wood stuck in their eye...not only would this be scary looking but they would constantly be yelling, "DUCK!" Boiled down to its essence, Jesus was trying to get you and me to first look within and then look externally. Being self-aware is a lifelong and challenging process that at times leaves you reeling. However, if you want to be an effective Kingdom worker, you must be willing to go further and press harder to conform toward the likeness of Christ. (See Phil 3:12-14).