When people tell you to not be “judgmental” they sometimes cite Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:1: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

That’s definitely a powerful word for all of us!

But what many people skip over is what Jesus says in verses 4-5: “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? 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.”

He doesn’t say to never offer someone a word of helpful correction. He just tells you to not be a hypocrite about neglecting the sin in your own life.

You need to address that BEFORE you approach someone else.

These days we’re kind of on thin ice with this topic. There is so much hyper-sensitivity that you risk being accused of “harming” someone if you say something they disagree with.

But when said in love and truth, concerned words from one person to another can be a much-needed compass when someone is headed down the wrong path.

It’s okay to offer a humble word of constructive criticism to someone—just make sure you’ve first applied the same standard to yourself.

By Matthew Ruttan