Are you ever tempted to criticize other people, point out their faults, dwell on their shortcomings and grumble about their disposition?
Every person is like a window into a unique view of God. As the windows on our house are sometimes very clean and at other times spotted with gunk and muck, the human view of another can be very good at times, and not so commendable at others. But like with our windows, if dirty, it doesn’t help to get mad at the panes. We get out the Windex and clean the glass, knowing that behind the dirt there is a crystal clear view that lets the light shine through beautifully.
The critical thought often believes all the ugly spots are on their neighbor’s pane, though, and this is often not the case. We look at other people through our own windowpane of thought, and the unfriendly spots we see on others may be faults on our own pane, mistakenly identified as on the other guy’s glass. Thus the reason Jesus instructed, Take the beam out of your own eye first; and when you can see clearly, help remove the mote from your brother’s eye.
Faults in others are like dirt on the windowpane waiting to be washed away. As dirt is no part of the pane, faults are no part of another person. To get the right view of the other person, we have to get out the Windex of Truth and wipe the filth away. Then we get the right view.
From a spiritual perspective, our neighbor is perfect. He or she is God’s image radiating love, goodwill, harmony and peace. It’s not the person that needs to be changed, but mortal mind’s view of them. Once the view is correct, the person’s God-given identity becomes more apparent.
So, are you ever going to be tempted to criticize another again? If so, remember, you’re probably criticizing yourself, or at least, a false sense of self. Point the finger in the right direction. Not at your neighbor or at yourself, but at mortal mind. Instruct thought with the spiritual truth about God’s man and wash the filth away. The view is much better.
Thoughts to keep in mind, always! And what a helpful way to better understand Jesus’ mote/beam analogy.
Yes, Love it
Reminds me of an e-mail someone sent me this year. It goes like this:
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside and observes, “That laundry is not very clean. She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”
Her husband looks on, but remains silent.
Every time her neighbor hangs her wash to dry, the young woman makes the same comments.
About one month later, the young woman is surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line. She announces to her husband, “Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.”
Her husband volunteers, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends upon the purity of the window through which we look.
I love this analogy of dirty windows and perceptions. It really helps me to understand how one can be easily deceived in their thinking of something being wrong when it is actually just a wrong thought. Thank you for the clarity.
I am now just seeing this blog but it is so relevant to me right now. Thank you so much Evan for the reminder to ‘get out the Windex of Truth and wipe the filth away’. We all are God’s children, reflecting nothing but His Love.