How can you say to your brother, “Let me remove the speck from your eye”‘; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

Matthew 7:4

I often ask my clients to describe the type of person they hate to be around. Connie’s answer came quickly: “That’s easy. I hate hypocrities!”  The promptness of her answer didn’t surprise me.  Connie herself was struggling with an intense form of hypocrisy-a multiple personality disorder.

One of Connie’s personalities smoked marijuana at a downtown park on Saturdays. On Sundays, another one of her personalities passed out tracts to the drug users in  the same park. Needless to say, life was very confusing for Connie. She would leave my office and ask me if she would see me next week. I would have to answer that I didn’t know, because I wouldn’t know from week to week which personality was going to show up for therapy. I’m sure the secretaries thought it was strange when Connie and I took two or three extra chairs into my office each week. I had her change chairs as she changed personalities.

Your answer to the question of what type of person you dislike being around probably won’t be as dramatic as Connie’s was, but  it can certainly help you get some insight into yourself.  As you answer the question, look into your heart for bits and pieces of that person within you.

Thought:  The truth about myself will set me free to be more accepting of other imperfect people-especially those with similar faults.