For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:31
Many businesses that use vehicles as part of their operations have a policy for their drivers called a ‘safety circle’. It is a very simple policy, but it has saved many lives and has prevented much destruction of property. The safety circle simply means that before a driver gets into a vehicle of any kind, that driver will walk in a complete circle around the vehicle, making sure there are no objects, and no people, that will be struck by the vehicle at it begins to move. Many drivers have reported that their safety circle has discovered objects lying in the path of the vehicle, and many have also reported that they have discovered the presence of people, especially children, who would have been run over if the vehicle had moved. A safety circle makes good sense for drivers. Christians should also do a safety circle of ourselves before embarking on our day, or any activity of the day.
Our text speaks of judging ourselves to avoid being judged later. What the apostle has in mind is for us to check ourselves to make sure we are properly prepared to conduct ourselves in a Christ-like manner at all times. Remember the story of the little girl who advised her sister to never let her mother brush her hair when her mother was angry with her. Just like an angry mother can create agony with a hairbrush, so our attitudes can have a great bearing on how we treat people around us, and whether our actions get us into trouble.
The first part of our safety circle is maintaining a sweet relationship with our Lord, through prayer, Bible reading, and meditation. If we are appreciating Him as we ought, we will be more tolerant of the flaws of others around us, and will be less likely to act in destructive ways. We also need to maintain sweet relationships with our family members. Courtesy and forgiveness should always be our first response to any problems, keeping in mind that our family members have the burden of having to deal with us! For the people around us in our work-a-day world, we need to keep in mind their need of the Gospel and to be careful that we behave in a manner befitting children of light. As for our fellow believers, we need to pray for them daily by name, and to treat them lovingly, fairly, and with the greatest of respect.
We are not perfect; people will find fault with us, and usually for good reason. But if we don’t want anybody throwing stones at us, we need to be careful that we don’t give them any stones to throw. -Jim MacIntosh