Trash

 

My three year old daughter came to me a while ago with an air of indignance after watching a show. Below is a transcript of our conversation.

"Mommy, do you know what that mean man did?!?"

"No, tell me." 

"He threw his trash in the ocean! God does NOT like that." 

"You're right, Avonlea. It probably does make God sad when people don't take care of his world. But we all do things sometimes that make God sad, it's called sin." 

She interrupts with increased volume. "I DO NOT throw trash in the ocean!" 

"I know, but things like lying or fighting or being unkind make God sad too." 

Her response? "I might lie, but I do NOT throw trash in the ocean! We are good people." 

Oh, my.... If you could have only seen and heard my three year old's pride and outrage! It was one of those moments you want to make teachable but it takes all your willpower not to laugh. 

"We are good people"?!? Where does she even come up with this stuff? When I relayed the story to Adam he pronounced we had a little environmentalist in our midst. 

She was definitely passionate about the ocean.... kudos to Octonauts!

The more I thought over our conversation the more I realized: while we may not voice it as bluntly, adults often do this very thing as well. 

She was so caught up in the wrong committed by someone else, her own sin didn't look so bad. Somehow in her mind littering was a worse offense than anything she had done. Hence, she was good. She had determined some sins were of a more serious degree than others. 

I understand theologically we know that not to be true, but how often have we compared our sin, our wrongdoing to someone else and thereby felt a little better about our own? 

My lie? At least it wasn't like so and so's infidelity. 

My short temper? At least I'm not abusive like so and so. 

My need for control? At least I have control, unlike so and so who's battling addiction. 

The lists goes on. We don't always consciously have these conversations with ourselves or aloud, but if we look deeply into our hearts I'd wager we've all been there or at least been tempted to go there. 

How many of us have gotten hung up on someone else's "trash" or "sawdust" while overlooking the dump site or plank in our own lives? 

My three year old taught me something that day in the uncanny, innocent way our children do. While I pray she is always passionate about what is right and good and pleasing to the Lord, I also pray she is sure to first check her own heart. Then and only then, if the need arises to confront someone about their "trash", may she do so in humility and grace. And as her mommy may I also do the same. 

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your [sister's] eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" -Matthew 7:3