Before You Judge, Clean Your Windows

A man complained to his neighbor that the family across the street never seemed to wash their windows. Every morning during their daily walk, he would say, "Look how dirty their windows are! They really should take some time to clean them."
The next day, he looked out and exclaimed, "Finally! Their windows are sparkling clean!" He was eager to call his neighbor and share the news. However, before he could pick up the phone, his wife approached him with a grin and said, "No, honey. You can see that their windows are clean because I woke up early this morning and washed ours!"

The issue had never been the neighbors' windows—it was his own. A prideful perspective works the same way. Instead of addressing their culpability and admitting their faults, they become obsessed with everyone else's windows but their own.

To determine if you resemble our friend with the dirty windows, consider the following questions:
Are you making choices based on pride?
Are you focused on the faults of others (their windows) while neglecting to acknowledge your own (your dirty windows)?
Do you tend to demonize those who don’t share your perspective?
Do you gossip with your neighbor about other people's windows?
Do you have a history of conflict with others?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, take some time to clean your own windows by confession to the Lord. Keep in mind that it can be easier to point out others' failures or shift blame than to confront the issues in your own heart and essentially clean your windows.

Jesus cautioned His followers about being focused on the windows of others in Matthew 7:1–5 when He said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

Remember,  a proud heart looks and focuses on flaws in others. A humble heart first asks God to search and cleanse itself. When pride fills the heart, gossip, slander, and unjust criticism often follow.

Knowing this, prayerfully clean your windows and honor God by treating people right.

Each day, we face a choice: Will our actions and words build trust or break it? God calls His people to be known for their truth, integrity, and grace.