Thursday, January 11, 2018

Thursday Devotional - Double Standards

Romans 2:19-24     if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”           Romans 2:19-24

Here, Paul is bluntly confronting the self-righteous Jews. Sometimes I skim over these verses thinking I’m not like these Jews. I don’t think I set expectations of others that I don’t set for myself. However, if I really examine all my behaviors and thoughts, I am hypocritical. I don’t always meet my own expectations for myself, much less God’s expectations.

Just last night I got on to James and Sarah several times for talking at dinner with food in their mouth. One of the times I realized I still had some food in my mouth when I was telling them to wait to talk until they had finished chewing!!!

In your and my areas of responsibility, what are you and I teaching others (co-workers, spouses, children, peers, communities, church members)?
Are you and I holding ourselves to the same expectations? 
Do you and I expect our co-workers to be diligent and not waist time, but do you and I waist time in different ways?
Do you and I expect our family members to be considerate, but do you and I always think of their needs first?

Let’s ask God to help us recognize (and address) where we are being self-righteous, hypocritical, or holding double standards.

Alice

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