Find Those Beams!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24

With election day approaching, there are lots of political advertisements about the various candidates on the television. I notice that many of them focus on a particular candidate’s negative choices made a long time ago. Few discuss the recent decisions or positive successes of the same candidate, especially if they have changed from years earlier. It’s as if an individual’s character is judged by one or two bad decisions in the past, and by those decisions, a person is forever judged, never being given the opportunity to demonstrate a changed heart. Even if these candidates have done good things in their political career, they are overshadowed by the mistakes of the past.

Through some extensive soul-searching and illumination by the Holy Spirit, I found that I had been guilty of doing the very same to some people in my life. I realized that I had judged these individuals by a single event in the past in which my heart had been hurt.  I never allowed room for any forgiveness in my heart for those who simply said a hurtful word or made a bad choice in a particular situation. My hurt was nurtured by my insecurities, and then my pride took hold, and I began to listen to the lies of Satan.

I know his goal is to destroy Christian relationships, and thereby the church of Christ, but I believed the lies and allowed myself to get sucked in to the self-righteous behaviors and thoughts that I “just knew” were justifiable. How blind I have been to my own sin in my prideful judgments! Through Bible study, wise counsel, and prayer, I now understand the root of this sin, and with God’s grace, I was able to deal with the underlying issues.

In Matthew 7:5, the Bible says, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” It’s a wonder I can “see” at all! I know that in the past I have been guilty of also saying the wrong things, doing the wrong things, even thinking the wrong things!

I have made numerous apologies to many different people throughout the years, and have received forgiveness from all. Not once do I remember anyone withholding forgiveness from me. Most importantly, I have sinned repeatedly against my God, and each time I ask Him for forgiveness, He forgives me! I cannot imagine how it would be if God only judged me by the wrong choices I have made in my own past!

So now my prayer is in the Bible passage for today. Search my heart, Lord. Find all the wickedness… the pride, the self-righteous attitudes, the fears, the lack of trust, lack of love… all those “wicked ways” in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Help me to recognize every sin for what it is… the beams in my eye… and help me to find true repentance in my heart for each one. Give me the strength I need to be forgiving in my heart to others just as Christ has forgiven me.

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within;
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

(from “Search Me, O God” by James E. Orr)

“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” – Colossians 3:13

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From whom do you need to ask forgiveness today?