Judge Yourself First

1 Corinthians 11:28: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

2 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Galatians 6:4: But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

I believe the Lord has given me a question to ask myself often: Am I doing this thing for myself or for someone else? I believe He would have you ask that question of yourself too. If everything I do is for myself, I have a big problem. If we are Christians we will do many things for God and for others. Believers can measure their spiritual growth very accurately. Here is one measure: How much am I doing for myself and how much am I doing for Him and for others? The more we grow as Christians, the less we will do for ourselves and the more we will do for God and others.

1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

James 2:8: If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Philippians 2:3: Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

1 Corinthians 10:24: Let no man seek his own, but every man another*s wealth.

But there is one thing we should do more of for ourselves than for others. We should judge ourselves more. In a sense, you are the only person you are qualified to judge. Other believers are to serve you but not just you. They are to be first and foremost God*s servants and you are too. There have been other believers that I believed were not doing what they should. Later the Lord opened my eyes to see that I was wrong and that they WERE serving Him. One believer had been a very important mentor to me the first year or so after I was saved. The Lord moved Him about 100 miles away from me. I thought he must be sinning and out of the will of God. I learned later that he was instrumental in helping to stabilize a church that been split. And the Lord has provided me with many Biblical mentors. He knew I would be better off with many of them instead of just one. We need to depend upon our mentors appropriately and upon God Himself more than other believers.

Romans 14:4: Who art thou that judgest another man*s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

Luke 6:41: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother*s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother*s eye.

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