“The greatest among you must be your
servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself
will be exalted.” – Matthew 23:11-12
Jesus issues a stern warning against
hypocrisy today. As I read through the lines of the Gospel, I am reminded of
people I know who do not “preach but they do not practice.” A few more thoughts
more, and I find myself getting very worked up, mentally pointing fingers and
shooting off blame for situations of which I am not happy.
This line of thinking really took
center stage toward the latter half of last year. Particularly at work, I found
myself frustrated with a few notable others that, try as I may, I couldn’t
shake off. As the year ended and as this new year eases its way onward, I came
to a startling realization – that the issues that I had most strongly with
these notable others – were exactly the issues that I unknowing had unresolved
within myself, about myself. For instance, I was so pent up about an individual
constantly delaying projects and then passing the blame onto others. Little did
I realize, I was doing the same in other areas of my own life. This would
continue as I went through my list of grievances. As I saw how unforgiving I
had become of others, I saw even more so how unforgiving I had become of
myself.
To say that I was humbled was an
understatement. Even today as another Lenten season is upon us, I still catch
myself being more of a Pharisee than I realize. Yet, I am also learning to
become more confident in God’s love and mercy through it all.
What are the “hot buttons” or pet
peeves of others in my life, and what might they be inviting me to look at
within my own self? Lord, please help me to see it all with a gentle and
compassionate heart.
Reflected by Quyen (Nhi) Ngo
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