WHAT YOU SEE IN OTHERS

Scripture:
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" — Matthew 7:3 (NKJV)

Reflection:
One of my students often comes to tell me, “Mr. G, your hair is growing back!” I jokingly replied, “Okay, I’ll cut it then.”  But every time, he insists, “No, don’t cut it!” He sees something growing in me that I tend to overlook or take for granted.

That made me realize: what you notice in others might be what you’ve taken for granted in yourself.  We can be quick to celebrate growth, beauty, or progress when we see it in someone else, while ignoring the same potential God has placed within us.

Jesus said we are often good at spotting what’s in another person’s eye, but blind to what’s in our own.  The lesson isn’t just about judgement; it’s about awareness.  God calls us not only to encourage others, but also recognize His work in our own lives.

Take a moment today to ask yourself:

• What gifts has God given me that I’ve overlooked?
• What strengths am I quick to see in others but hesitant to acknowledge in myself?
• Am I willing to celebrate God’s growth in me the same way I celebrate it in others?

Encouragement works both ways: we give it, but we also need to receive it and, most important, believe it.

Prayer:
Lord, open my eyes to see my growth. Help me not to take everything You have already placed in me for granted, even as I encourage others to see it in themselves. In this I pray, in Your Son Jesus’ name, amen.