“Pray Don't Find Fault”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorized
It’s easy to find fault with others, isn’t it? But let’s think about the following thoughts: If it’s the case that our all-knowing God is the only entity who knows everything about us (1 John 3:20; cf. Matthew 10:30), including our mistakes and frailties (Psalm 39:4-7), and if it’s the case that we as mortal beings, have a very limited knowledge of the people we meet and associate with (as in the case of Joseph’s brothers not knowing the heart of Joseph – Genesis 50:15-21).
Then the following poem entitled, “Pray Don’t Find Fault,” should have great significance for each one of us as we journey along life’s pathway, interacting with other people who are just as mistake-prone and frail as we are:
“Pray don’t find fault with the man who limps
Or stumbles along the road,
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears,
Or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
Though hidden away from view,
The burden he bears, placed on your back,
Might cause you to stumble too.
Don’t sneer at the man who’s down today ,
Unless you have felt the blow,
That caused his fall or felt the shame,
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows,
That were his if dealt to you,
In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time,
Might cause you to stagger too.
Don’t be too harsh with the man who sins,
Or pelt him with word or stone,
Unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,
That you have no sins of your own,
For you know perhaps if the tempter’s voice,
Should whisper as softly to you,
As it did to him when he went astray,
It might cause you to stumble too” (source).
—Rama Muthukrishnan
Let’s think about it! (Gal. 6:1-2).