An old Indian saying goes something like this: “Don’t criticize me until you’ve walked a mile in my moccasins.” Because of sin, that’s sometimes a hard thing to do.

Sin makes people selfish. Sin can blind us to the hurts of others.

Sin can harden our hearts and make us judgmental instead of sympathetic. Remember when King David was confronted with a story of a rich man’s sin? He had no sympathy for him, even though David himself was a worse sinner (2 Samuel 12).

You would think that one sinner would have compassion for another sinner, but this is not always the case. No, it is the spiritually minded person with a clean heart who sympathizes with a sinner and seeks to help him. Because we are so sinful, we have a hard time helping other sinners; but because Jesus is perfect, He is able to meet our needs when we sin.

Verse for today: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15, NIV).

More reading: Galatians 6:1-2; 1 Peter 3:8; Zechariah 7:9.

Action assignment: Whom have you criticized recently or in the past? Were your criticisms really fair? Were they more judgmental than sympathetic? Is there anything you can do now to truly help that person or those persons? Ask God to help you follow Christ’s example more faithfully from now on.

WARREN W. WIERSBE
www.backtothebible.in