I love you 🎶

A bushel and a peck

A bushel and a peck 🎶

And a hug around the neck.

Songwriter: Frank Loesser

This song is endearing and one I’ve often sung to my grandchildren. But today it made me think in opposites. What if the lyrics went something like this?

I see you

A log and a speck

A log and a speck

Puts a grip around the neck

Ouch. Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s unfair judgment? I’m sad to say I have and nothing hurts more.

When I feel falsely accused, all I want to do is defend myself so I’m understood and the tension is released.

But usually defending myself only creates more tension. The best thing is to follow Jesus’ example and walk away. He didn’t answer His accusers unless they were speaking the truth. With all others He kept His mouth shut.

Oh to be like Him.

There is a scripture that has helped me look at this rightly…

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
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Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

To realize that any judgment I make against someone will be the same measure God uses against me is sobering. It brings me to my knees in surrender.

If God has allowed the conflict, there is an opportunity to be made more like Christ. But usually I want the other person to feel the sting they’ve assaulted on me. This just proves I’m still in need of a Savior to rescue me from my own sin.

In fact I will never be above the need for His grace working in my heart until I take my last breath.

This Bible verse helps me because the speck is made up of the same log. If the sin of another (the speck) offends me I need to look at myself (the log) first. I’m recognizing the other’s sin because it resides in my own heart as well.

This fact humbles me and brings me to my knees.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

1 Peter 5:6 ESV

Let us love one another well by dealing with our own heart before pointing a finger at someone else.

I’ll close sharing with you something my pastor said years ago…

“Anytime you’re pointing a finger at someone, know that there are three more pointing back at you.”

When we choose to humble ourselves we can honestly sing, I love you a bushel and a peck…