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Whenever tempers flare and folks starting hurling insults and judgments at one another, my aunt likes to say, âWhen you point a finger at someone, remember that three fingers are pointing back at you.â Her point puts a pause, if not a period, in most arguments.
Her sage advice is actually a credit to the Navajo people who consider pointing the finger at someone as an overly emotional and unjustified reaction. The Navajos believe humans should first look within before, and if ever, pointing out the faults of others.
Matthew 7: 1-5 in The Passion Translation puts it this way:
âRefuse to be a critic full of bias toward others, and judgment will not be passed on you. 2 For youâll be judged by the same standard that youâve used to judge others. The measurement you use on them will be used on you. 3 Why would you focus on the flaw in someone elseâs life and yet fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own? 4 How could you say to your friend, âLet me show you where youâre wrong,â when youâre guilty of even more? 5 Youâre being hypercritical and a hypocrite! First acknowledge your own âblind spotsâ and deal with them, and then youâll be capable of dealing with the âblind spotâ of your friend.â
Paraphrased in the Message Bible, the same Scripture reads:
âDonât pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faultsâ unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. Itâs easy to see a smudge on your neighborâs face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, âLet me wash your face for you,â when your own face is distorted by contempt? Itâs this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.â
My humble suggestion is that we train ourselves to do less of what we see illustrated in the emoji below, and more with the instructions in the words above. In the simplest terms, letâs allow God to be our judge. Because when we ask the Creator to show us our frailties first, we will become better followers of Him and more pleasing to be around.

May you forever stay focused on your purpose. Sincerely,
Leah
Quote credited to James Truslow Adams, who is believed to have said it first.