Matthew 7
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “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, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log 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 out of your brother’s eye.
1. In what way might the admonition in vs. 1 and 2 apply to parenting?
2. How is discernment different from judgment?
3. Read vs. 3-5. Now look back at the immediately preceding vs. for a clue as to what “log” needs to be removed from our own eye before working on someone else’s faults.
4. What part of the human body does Jesus speak in these verses?
5. Why do you think Jesus chose the most sensitive and easily damaged part of the body for these verses?
6. When your child approaches you with something in his or her eye, what would be your goal? In what condition would you want to leave the eye itself?
7. When correcting your child, what should be the goal in terms of what in condition you want to leave the child him or herself
8. In what manner would you need to approach your work in order to avoid damaging the eye? What damage might occur if one loses sight of the vulnerability, sensitivity, value, and importance of the eye itself while attempting to remove a speck?
9. Looking at the comparison of the eye, what danger is present when we correct our children if we lose sight of their vulnerability, sensitivity, value, and importance in the process?
10. Why would it be important to be able to see clearly when working on someone’s eye?
11. How would inadequate vision compromise your ability to meet the goal? What dangers might there be in working on someone’s eye if you yourself could not see well?
12. How does a sense of judgment or criticism blind us to the nature of our children’s true needs and to the most effective way to deal with them?
13. How do you respond differently if someone corrects you with love, concern and gentleness than if they correct you with criticism?
14. Think of something that really irritates you about one of your children. Take a moment to lay down any sense of judgment or condemnation for this characteristic. Now picture yourself correcting your child with totally his good in mind without the blinding forces of your own agenda. How does this feel different than correcting with condemnation?
15. Over this next week set aside some time each day to lay down judgment and pick up an attitude of gentleness in preparation for correcting your children throughout the day.
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “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, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log 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 out of your brother’s eye.
1. In what way might the admonition in vs. 1 and 2 apply to parenting?
2. How is discernment different from judgment?
3. Read vs. 3-5. Now look back at the immediately preceding vs. for a clue as to what “log” needs to be removed from our own eye before working on someone else’s faults.
4. What part of the human body does Jesus speak in these verses?
5. Why do you think Jesus chose the most sensitive and easily damaged part of the body for these verses?
6. When your child approaches you with something in his or her eye, what would be your goal? In what condition would you want to leave the eye itself?
7. When correcting your child, what should be the goal in terms of what in condition you want to leave the child him or herself
8. In what manner would you need to approach your work in order to avoid damaging the eye? What damage might occur if one loses sight of the vulnerability, sensitivity, value, and importance of the eye itself while attempting to remove a speck?
9. Looking at the comparison of the eye, what danger is present when we correct our children if we lose sight of their vulnerability, sensitivity, value, and importance in the process?
10. Why would it be important to be able to see clearly when working on someone’s eye?
11. How would inadequate vision compromise your ability to meet the goal? What dangers might there be in working on someone’s eye if you yourself could not see well?
12. How does a sense of judgment or criticism blind us to the nature of our children’s true needs and to the most effective way to deal with them?
13. How do you respond differently if someone corrects you with love, concern and gentleness than if they correct you with criticism?
14. Think of something that really irritates you about one of your children. Take a moment to lay down any sense of judgment or condemnation for this characteristic. Now picture yourself correcting your child with totally his good in mind without the blinding forces of your own agenda. How does this feel different than correcting with condemnation?
15. Over this next week set aside some time each day to lay down judgment and pick up an attitude of gentleness in preparation for correcting your children throughout the day.
2 comments:
Wow is right! You posted the exact Bible verse that I considered quoting in my post for the Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme "Clean" using the photo of my daughter Clara's eye. I might go back and add that now. Great thoughts. God bless.
Firefly, apparently blogs are a small world too!
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