Fault Finder

There are people in this life who live to find fault in others. They can nit pick every detail in another person’s life focusing on the flaws rather than the other person’s potential. Some people walk through life seeing everyone and everything as half empty. These people are extremely negative, opinionated, and are like leeches that suck and drain the life out of others.

Jesus had some pretty strong words for fault finders. “Why do you look at 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, ‘Brother let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is 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 that is in your brother’s eye.” [Luke 6:41-42]

Why is it any easier to find fault in others? We can find fault in the way people dress, the way they talk, the work ethic of people, as well as the socio-economic status of people. While we are very often harsh on others we are much more lenient on ourselves. We hold other people to a higher standard than we are willing to live out in our own lives. Jesus calls this hypocrisy. You heard Him right. If we live finding fault in others especially when we are not living by those same standards in our own lives we are hypocrites. It is easier to divert attention from our own sin by casting blame and finding fault in other people’s lives. God is not fooled.

There are few words that would be more offensive to a Christian than being called a hypocrite. That can mean being a pretender or a play actor. Many people who sit in the pews on Sunday morning could win the academy award for the pretense and play acting that takes place there. If we show up on Sundays to scrutinize everyone else rather than to ask the Lord to, “Search me, O God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way,” [Ps 139:23-24] then we are indeed hypocrites. When the Lord reveals the flaws in our own lives we should follow up with the prayer, “Create in me a clean me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” [Ps 51:10] We should rejoice in the truth that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [I Jn 1:9]

If you show up week after week under the preaching and teaching of the word of God and all you get out of it is what is wrong with everyone else you are in trouble. If you do not feel convicted from time to time about the faults in your own life you just might very well be the hypocrite Jesus was referring to in [Luke 6:42] God is continuing to do His good work in us. [Phil 1:6]

Our focus must first be turned upward to seek God and hear from Him and then inward as we search our hearts for our own sin and rebellion. If we are busy doing those two things we will not have much time to focus on the flaws of those around us. We need to be a people who seek to live consistently and who are willing to extend grace to others as we have received grace from the Lord Jesus.

We are in danger of falling into spiritual pride. Beware lest we think we have arrived spiritually. We have nothing to boast in except the cross of Christ and His amazing grace. [Gal 6:14] [Eph 2:8-9] Who are you and I who are sinners to spend our time finding fault in others? Judgment must begin at my house first. I’ve got my own logs to remove before looking at the splinters in your eyes.

Instead of being fault finders in others let us spend our days in being splinter seekers in our own lives. That would be honoring to God.