Check The Obvious

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Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

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Lord in the past I often find myself tightly grasped in anger with some fault or problem that I see in people. Why did they do this? How did it come to this? What happened? I am always the one quick to point the finger, easily overwhelmed with pride that it couldn't be my fault. It can’t be!

As years went by, by the power of the transformation of Your Word, slowly but surely, I'm beginning to check the obvious. Most of the times it was my fault, I was just too thick skin to admit that. If I’m really left with no choice, I would even try to push the blame to things that did not have mouths to speak for themselves.

It was obvious that my pride was getting in the way of day to day relationships with other people. My self-righteousness became a serious barrier for proper communication.

Father Lord, I thank You for providing me with Your Word, and provided the light to lead me out of my own conceited darkness. I should check and remove the plank of wood in my eyes, before I pick on the speck of dust in others’; I should always check from what's in the inside first, before checking what's on the outside.

Even though now, often as before my pride still swells up from within, I can control it better and follow Your principles, to check if things are really my fault. Even if they aren't, I can better communicate to that person because I will try to talk with Your patience and love.

Thank You Lord for Your patient guidance and sweet anointing, which without, I’ll be still the same old me.