Pluck the Plank

Stop judging others to feel right. Drop the pride. Lead clean.

Christian Devotional for Men | When Pride Feels Justified, It Still Blinds

You don’t lead your family by holding grudges. You lead them by letting God break you first.

Matthew 7:5 (NIV) “…first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Men, most of us don’t need a new Bible study. We need to pull the plank out of our face and finally deal with the pride we’ve been dragging around for years. Pride that makes us think we’re always right. Pride that makes it easier to judge than to forgive. Pride that hides behind a mask of leadership, when all we’re really doing is trying to feel in control.

I lived it.

I was wronged. Deeply. Not by some stranger, but by people I had trusted. They made assumptions, spread lies, turned away, and never once came back to ask, “Did I get this wrong?” They accused me of things I didn’t do, never asked for the truth, and even when it all cleared up, they never owned their side of it. No apology. No acknowledgment. Just silence. One man still won’t even look me in the eye.

And it wasn’t just the silence that hurt. It was the hypocrisy. The very sin I was accused of? I later saw in them. Clear as day. They lied. They twisted facts. They judged. And suddenly, everything in me wanted to shout, “See? I was right!”

But that’s when Jesus slammed the brakes.

He whispered something deep and sharp: “Pluck the plank.” Not their plank. Mine.

Over the last seven days – since last Sunday – and for those of you keeping record, that would be Sunday, June 22 , I’ve been praying like a man in a storm. Not just for peace, but for freedom. Freedom from the pain, the bitterness, the replaying of the conversations, the sting of rejection. And God didn’t respond with justice. He responded with conviction.

“Be wise as serpents, innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). I had quoted it just last week, talking to a group of  men about leading with discernment. But now it was for me. God was saying: You know what the pain is. Now choose what to do with it.

It’s like getting a splinter. Even a tiny one can hurt like crazy – if anything very annoying. But you can’t just pray it away. You have to find it. Dig it out. And sometimes, the root of that splinter is pride.

It’s hard. Real hard. Especially when you weren’t the one who started it. But here’s what Jesus is showing me (just like a splinter):

1. Recognize the pain.
2. Name the pride that comes with it.
3. Pluck the plank — own my own response.
4. Return to the altar. Let Jesus deal with them. But let Him deal with me first.

There’s no leadership in harboring bitterness. There’s no shepherding from a seat of judgment. Jesus didn’t call us to manage others. He called us to make disciples. You can’t disciple your wife, your kids, or any man around you if the yoke you’re handing them is your own wounded pride – your own wooden plank.

Luke 17:3-4 tells us: “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.”

But that word “rebuke” doesn’t mean shame. It means confront in love. It means if there’s a chance to clear it up, do it with humility, not anger. And if they don’t repent? You still forgive. That’s what Jesus says in Matthew 18:35. Forgive from the heart.

And here’s the tough part. Romans 12:18 reminds us: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” It doesn’t say everyone will want peace. But it does say the burden is on you to seek it, even when it’s uncomfortable.

You might not be called to go to them. Maybe they don’t even know how they hurt you. But you are called to forgive. That’s the non-negotiable. Confrontation is optional. Forgiveness isn’t.

So today, I’m stepping out from behind the altar. Vulnerable. Still bleeding. Still aching. But ready to move.

Ready to forgive men who won’t own it.

Ready to love people who won’t look me in the eye.

Ready to lead with clean hands, even if I have to walk alone.

Why? Because I want my family to follow a man who looks like Jesus, not a man obsessed with justice. I want my wife to trust a man who fights for peace, not position. I want my kids to watch a father who chooses grace over ego.

So pluck the plank. Drop the pride. And point them to the only One who never got it wrong.

Today’s “Shepherding in Action” Value is Forgiveness with Courage

This strengthens your role as a shepherd leader by freeing you to lead without hidden bitterness, showing your family the power of grace and the authority of Jesus over pride.

Reflect / Apply / Share

1. Reflect – Where has pride blinded me from seeing clearly in my relationships?
2. Apply – What is one situation where I need to pluck the plank, forgive, and return to the altar?
3. Share – Who in my life needs to see this kind of grace in action, so they can learn to lead the same?

Bible References (NIV)

• Matthew 7:5 — “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
• Matthew 10:16 — “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
• Luke 17:3-4 — “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”
• Matthew 18:35 — “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
• Romans 12:18 — “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Personal Prayer

Jesus, give me the courage to forgive where I want to prove a point. Help me lead my family with clean hands, not a bitter heart.

These weekday reflections flow from my time in God’s Word. I invite you to join me and other Men of the Shepherd in building Christ-centered homes—leading, discipling, and serving like Jesus.
If these reflections encourage you, please like, share, and pass them on so more men can grow in their calling.
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