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The Window Story

The author of the window story, "The Window Through Which We Look," is unknown, but the lesson it teaches speaks to each of us and is a great Bible illustration for lessons, sermons, devotions or family worship time.


inspiring window story

Photo credit: Pixbay


A window can be that through which we see the openness beyond or it can remind us of a prison with self as the center. 

Sometimes lessons "sting" or as many say - "step on our toes!"  In reality these hard lessons can lead to a newness and refreshing in our lives and help us see the beauty beyond.


The Window Story - A Bible Illustration 

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?"

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.


"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"
Matthew 7:3 


Lessons from the Window Story:

Be Careful of Judging Others

The lesson from the window story is obvious, before we judge others while looking out the window, let us look in a mirror first and clean our own windows.

Jesus taught about this in His Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."  Matthew 7:1-5

How often do we find ourselves "assuming" things about others based on our perception of what we see?  Our eyes can only tell us a part of their story.  

What if we approached every encounter with someone choosing to think the best about them rather than the worst?  Even if we were looking through a clean window, our view is still limited by that window.  We don't know where a person has been or what is going on in their life.  Only God knows the full story.


Don't Fall Into the Comparison Trap

It is easy to become so preoccupied with what others are doing that we lose sight of God's leadings in our own life.  

"But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another." Galatians 6:4


"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt 

Comparing ourselves to others or others to our standards does nothing but divide.  There is no love in comparison.  God tells us to love one another and love others as ourselves.  Loving others not only brings God joy, it brings us joy!


Take Initiative

Let's not overlook the actions of the husband.  He did something to change the outlook!  He helped his wife see reality more clearly.  We can be the ones to affect change for the good of others!  In this case, he helped both his wife and their neighbor.


"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."  Philippians 2:3-4 NIV


We can be the the one to speak up in another's defense or we can be the one to enhance someone's view.




Moral of the Window Story:

Our perspective of others as well as the world varies according to how clean we keep our windows.

Bible illustration on judgement

Photo credit: Anthony DeRosa @ Pexels

More Bible Illustration Stories

Activate:

  1. Clean a window; this could even be a fun family activity! As we do, we can pray and ask God to help us see others more clearly...the way He sees and loves them.


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