Walk As You Say

James 3:14-15

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Psalm 55:21

His words are as smooth as butter, but in his heart is at war.

Proverbs 26:23-25

Smooth words may hide a wicked heart, just as a pretty glaze covers a clay pot.

1 John 2:11

But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Deuteronomy 28:28-29

"The LORD will smite you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart; and you will grope at noon, as the blind man gropes in darkness, and you will not prosper in your ways; but you shall only be oppressed and robbed continually, with none to save you."

Evil hearts are experts at fooling others with their smooth speech and flattering words...

But if you look at the fruit of their lives or the follow through of their words, you will find no real evidence of godly growth or change. It’s all smoke and mirrors. (Psalms 50:19; 52:2,3; 57:4; 59:7; 101:7; Proverbs 12:5; 26:23–26; 26:28; Job 20:12; Jeremiah 12:6; Matthew 26:59; Acts 6:11–13; Romans 16:17,18; 2 Corinthians 11:13,14; 2 Timothy 3:2–5; 3:13; Titus 1:10,16).

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The Bible has some strong words for those whose actions do not match their talk (1 John 3:17,18; Jeremiah 7:8,10; James 1:22, 26)

◄ Jeremiah 7:24 ►

"Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward

Jeremiah 9:3 ►

"They bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," declares the LORD

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.

Three Fingers Pointing Back to You 👈👈👈

Why we see the bad in others rather than ourself??

Where there is a mirror, we must look at it with new eyes....

Maybe you know the saying, "When you point one finger, there are three fingers pointing back to you."  Jesus had a version of this wisdom when he said, "Don't focus on the speck in your brother's eye while ignoring the log in your own eye."  When cruel accusations fly, we all need to hear the voice of reason that says, "Look in the mirror, mister.  You might just be talking about yourself."

Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

— Matthew 7:1-2

I believe that pointing a finger at someone in judgment is often the way some people cover up their own weaknesses. Their theory seems to be, “Judge others before they have a chance to judge you.”

We all know what it's like to get caught up in the heat of the moment.  When we cannot bear to see something painful in ourselves, we want to get rid of it.  We want to relocate the ugliness we feel about ourselves and put it into someone else.   We say those bad feelings do not apply to us; they apply to someone else.

The fancy psychoanalytic term for this unconscious process is PROJECTIVE IDENTIFICATION.  We get rid of the unwanted feelings (projection) and identify them as belonging to someone else (identification).  I call it the "shame relocation plan."

Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother.

-Romans 14:10, 12–13

Who are we? We’re God’s people. As Christians, we’re part of one family—God’s family. And He wants us to love and protect our family members, friends, etc. Instead of judging them.

Here is a prayer you can use to overcome judjment.

God, so often I’ve compared myself to others and judged them. I know that’s wrong. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, I ask You to help me defeat every evil, judgmental thought that Satan throws at me.

AMEN!!!