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There is a colleague in my office.  He can spot the flaw in every one else - except the one in the mirror. Let's call him Rick.  Rick was the kind of guy who could tell you what was wrong with your plan while not coming up with anything new.  He critique's everyone's work - except his own.  If someone was late to a meeting, it was disrespectful.  But when Rick was late?  "Traffic!" of course! We all know of a Rick. Some of us are Rick, on Tuesdays. Paul, in Romans 2, had something to say about this. “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things” (Romans 2:1, NIV). It’s as if God holds up a mirror—not to shame us, but to show us. He’s not asking for guilt-trips or self-loathing. He’s simply saying: Take a look. A real one. No filters. No excuses. Just truth. And here’s the kicker: God doesn’t hold up a mirror to mock you. He holds it up to free you. We judge others by actions, but we want to be judged by intentions. I snap at my wife and say, “Sorry, long day.” But when someone snaps at me? “Well, someone skipped their morning prayers.” We excuse ourselves with grace, but hand out judgment like a judge on Britain's Got Talent. Romans 2 says that when we judge, we condemn ourselves because we’re doing the same things — just maybe not as loudly. It reminds me of the time my daughter caught me sneaking a Coke Zero after telling that it's not good for her. “Is that a can of Coke in your mouth, Father?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “It's just that I am thirsty,” I mumbled sheepishly. Caught. Mirror, meet Father. God asks us to be perfect. He also asks us to be honest. He knows that judging others builds walls, but examining ourselves builds bridges.  God wants us to act differently.  One where we lose the lecture and speak with love.  One where we choose humility over hypocrisy. One where we admit that sometimes the biggest work God needs to do isn’t in them — it’s in me. When we read Romans 2:1-3, let us not look at it as if it is a finger pointing at you.  Look at it as if it's a hand reaching toward you. God’s kindness doesn’t expose to shame you — it exposes to save you.  He doesn’t bring truth to rub it in, but to rub it out.  And when we stop trying to fix everyone else and start letting Him fix us? That’s when the real miracle begins. So next time you’re tempted to judge someone else’s mess, remember this: You might be looking through a window. But God is holding up a mirror. And hopefully and thankfully, in that mirror, He sees not just what’s wrong — but what He’s making right.

Have we ever felt ashamed of the gospel? Paul certainly didn’t - he makes that clear not only in his writings in Romans, but in his very life and how he chose to lead it.

“not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship…”

We are what our hearts set out to do.

More lessons from the Master who rested during a storm. 

Amid God's rebukes, let us reflect on God's enduring faithfulness which He demonstrates in this chapter.

A reflection on the state of our relationship with God

Restless? Learn from the Master who slept during a storm. 

What will God do with His people in the last days?  

Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.

Zechariah 12 begins with God promising to defend Jerusalem from enemy nations. He will make her like an immovable rock, and all who try to come against it will be injured (Zech 12:3). He takes the side of His people and strengthens even the weak to fight like David (Zech 12:8). But even more striking than His promise for protection is what He promises to do within them. Verse 10 marks a change in focus from physical protection to heart transformation. God declares that He will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication (Zech 12:10a). He opens their eyes so that they will finally recognize the One they have rejected. Their hearts will mourn like grieving a firstborn child with deep sorrow (Zech 12:10b). This sorrow is comparable to the historical mourning for King Josiah at Hadadrimmon (Zech 12:11). However, repentance is not a change we are naturally inclined to pursue. The Bible repeatedly shows that the human heart is stubborn and prone to self-justification. We either make excuses, downplay our faults, or grow numb to our mistakes. Yet through God’s mercy, our hearts seek repentance because God has begun the work in our hearts. Through an awakening sense of sorrow and longing, He moves our hearts so our eyes can now see. The goodness of God leads us to repentance (Rom 2:4), an invitation for us to draw back to Him through His grace. Realizing how we have strayed can leave us heavy-hearted, even ashamed. There might be a grief within us that says: I finally saw how far I had drifted from You, Lord. God does not reveal this to make us run; He tells it so we might come home. So instead of withdrawing, may we respond with courage, drawing near with a heart that says, “Lord, I want to walk with You again.” Though God offers this gift freely, not all will receive it. If we hear His voice today, let us not harden our hearts (Heb 3:15). Are we willing to walk through the door He has opened? “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I trust.” (Ps 91:2) Let this be our response to His calling.

Feed and take care of my sheep until the end.