The Log

I knew a godly man who spent many years working in the gold mines of Grass Valley, California.  When the mines closed in 1956, he had to find another way to provide for his family.  He became a logger, felling towering trees in the forests of Northern California.

Logging is dangerous work, and one day tragedy nearly struck.  A massive log rolled over his leg, leaving him seriously injured.  By God’s grace, however, his life was spared.

After months of recovery, he made a life=changing decision.  He packed up his family and moved south to the city where I lived.  There he found work as a security guard at a nearby retirement community.  It may have seemed like an ordinary move prompted by difficult circumstances, but God was quietly arranging events that no one could have imagined.

Dad, as I later called him, had two sons and a young daughter who was in the seventh grade when they relocated.  Nine years later, I met that young lady when a woman in her church played Cupid and introduced us.  I was attending another church at that time.  We fell in love and, six months later, we were married.  A year after that, our first child was born.  Eventually God blessed us with three wonderful children.

Looking back, I cannot help but marvel at God’s providence.  Had the mines remained open…had he never become a logger…had the accident never occurred…had the family never moved south…had that woman not introduced us…our paths may never have crossed.  What appeared to be a series of hardships became the very means God used to bring us together.

How true are the words of Scripture: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”  (Psalm 37:23).  My wife would quickly remind me that the Lord orders the steps of godly women as well.  I certainly believe that.

Now, before you remind me that the title of this writing is called The Log, let me gently steer us back to the point.

Not long ago, my wife and I were enjoying dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.  At the table beside us sat a group of people celebrating together.  Unfortunately, one gentleman seemed determined to make the evening entirely about himself.

He talked without interruption.  Story after story poured out as he described his travels, financial success, influential positions with well-known companies, and ambitious plans for the future.  No one else had an opportunity to contribute to the conversation.  Every attempt to speak was swallowed by another tale of his accomplishments.

As the evening wore on, the conversation became even more uncomfortable.

He began pointing out where others at the table had failed.  He analyzed their decisions, highlighted their shortcomings, and confidently explained what they should have done differently.  His words carried the unmistakable tone of someone who believed he had mastered life while everyone else had somehow fallen behind.

Listening from the next table, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ words: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the log in your own eye?”  (Matthew 7:3).

That illustration has always fascinated me.  The speck is tiny.  A log in enormous.  Yet pride has a remarkable way of blinding us to our own faults while magnifying the faults of others.

I believe Jesus was teaching far more than proper manners.  He was exposing one of the deepest tendencies of the human heart.  We are often eager to correct others before allowing God to correct us.  We readily offer advice before examining our own attitudes.  We can become so convinced of our own wisdom that we stop recognizing our need for humility.

Proverbs 16:18 warns us plainly: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  Those words are timeless because pride remains one of humanity’s oldest temptations.

As followers of Christ, we must be especially careful.  It is possible to know Scripture well and still fail to reflect the heart of Christ.  We may have good intentions, yet our words can become harsh, self-righteous, or condescending.  Most people do not respond to condemnation.  They respond to genuine love.

Jesus never compromised truth, but He delivered truth with compassion.  He was firm without being arrogant, honest without being cruel, and holy without being unapproachable.

When we speak to others about the Lord, they should encounter more than correct doctrine.  They should experience the gentleness, kindness, patience, and love that the Holy Spirit produces within a surrendered heart.  A humble spirit often opens doors that forceful words can never unlock.

Perhaps that evening in the restaurant served as more than an uncomfortable interruption to our dinner.  Perhaps it was a quiet reminder from the Lord to examine my own heart before evaluating someone else’s.  After all, logs are much harder to see when they are in our own eyes.

The Lord is still in the business of removing logs.  If we will humbly allow Him to search our hearts, He will replace pride with humility, criticism with compassion, and self-importance with Christlike love.

Love truly does conquer all.  May that love be the defining mark of our lives as we share Jesus and His wonderful plan with those He places in our path.

Written by,

Papa Boyd