A Kiss from Rose | Look Behind You and Check Your Mirror

6 days ago

3 min read

BEFORE YOU THROW THAT STONE… CHECK YOUR MIRROR!

It’s amazing how clearly some people remember your mistakes while conveniently forgetting their own!

Now, THIS is a conversation we need to have!

Have you ever watched somebody verbally crucify another person over something they themselves have done?

Oh, they have ALL the details!

They’re telling everybody who will listen. Passing judgment. Questioning somebody’s character. Acting absolutely SHOCKED that a human being could do such a thing!

And the whole time, their own history has a chapter that looks mighty familiar.

WELL, ISN’T THAT INTERESTING!

What’s even wilder is when people behave that way because they think nobody knows about their past.

But here’s the thing.

WHETHER PEOPLE KNOW OR NOT, GOD KNOWS!

And just imagine, while you’re standing there pointing your finger at somebody else’s shortcomings, God is standing behind you holding up a mirror, saying:

“BEFORE WE DISCUSS THEM, LET’S TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT YOU!”

Now, that’s a reflection some folks aren’t ready for!

Remember the woman brought before Jesus in John 8?

The religious leaders were ready to condemn her for adultery. But Jesus challenged the people standing there with stones in their hands.

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” — John 8:7 (KJV)

And one by one, they walked away.

OH, THAT MIRROR WILL MAKE YOU PUT SOME THINGS DOWN!

Jesus wasn’t saying wrongdoing doesn’t matter. He later told the woman to go and sin no more.

He was exposing the danger of condemning somebody else while refusing to examine yourself.

And that’s where this message gets personal.

Because it’s easy to talk about somebody else’s dishonesty while forgetting the times you weren’t truthful.

Easy to criticize somebody’s relationship decisions while conveniently skipping a few chapters of your own.

Easy to announce somebody else’s failure while hoping nobody ever opens the file on yours.

BUT HOLD ON!

When did receiving grace give anybody permission to become the prosecutor of everybody else’s mistakes?

And when did surviving your own poor decisions make you qualified to publicly humiliate somebody for theirs?

YOU CAN HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE WITHOUT HOLDING THEM UP FOR PUBLIC RIDICULE!

You can address wrongdoing without gossiping.

You can speak truth without being cruel.

You can have standards without pretending you’ve never fallen short of them.

And you can recognize that someone needs correction without making their worst moment the only thing you ever say about them.

Jesus asked in Matthew 7:3 why someone would notice the speck in another person’s eye while overlooking the beam in their own.

IN OTHER WORDS, CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU MAKE SOMEBODY ELSE YOUR PROJECT!

Now, let’s be clear. This doesn’t mean ignoring harmful behavior, hiding abuse, or refusing to protect people who have been wronged. Accountability matters.

But there’s a difference between seeking truth and enjoying somebody else’s humiliation.

There’s a difference between addressing a problem and turning another person’s pain into entertainment.

And there’s a BIG difference between having a testimony and pretending you never needed mercy.

So the next time you’re tempted to gather an audience and verbally tear somebody apart, ask yourself:

“AM I TRYING TO HELP MAKE SOMETHING RIGHT, OR AM I JUST ENJOYING MAKING SOMEBODY LOOK WRONG?”

Because before you pick up that stone, you might want to remember what God has already forgiven you for.

Not so you can live in shame.

But so you can extend the same humility and mercy you once needed.

AND HERE’S THE PART YOU REALLY NEED TO REMEMBER:

You don’t have to know somebody’s entire history to treat them with compassion.

And you certainly don’t have to expose their mistakes to prove you’ve learned from yours.

SO PUT DOWN THE STONE. PICK UP THE MIRROR.