I want people held accountable when they are not following the rules that I believe are good. You know, like when they steal things or abuse children. But if I’m honest, I don’t want to be held accountable for my sins—even “little ones” like slightly breaking the speed limit. (Obviously, I know I’m breaking the rules, but I’m breaking them just enough that it won’t get me in trouble and will still allow me to get there this much faster.)

Sometimes I pray for God to expose corruption and provide justice, but then I stop for a minute because I get a little afraid to pray that prayer. See, I don’t want him to expose the corruption in my heart. I want justice for other people and mercy for myself. 

This hypocrisy is why I need to remember what a man named Paul wrote thousands of years ago: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).

When I remember that I should be the one writing those words, I can take the plank out of my own eye before I remove the speck from someone else’s. (That’s a churchy way of saying that I need to be honest about my flaws before I point them out in others.) 

When I remember that, then I can remember that Christ came for me. Then I tell all the other corrupt rule breakers that this good news is for them too.