Re (10): Living Water

Yeah, right. Actually, you are right, Sara. Self-absorption either in thinking we can do no wrong or we can do no right is all about us.

And yes, examining our consciences regularly is a good practice, even though it has gone out of vogue in most circles these days, and even many churches. And as you point out, it does make us less critical of others if we realize our own failings.

As in everything, the idea is to balance a healthy sense of our own shortcomings with a healthy sense of mercy towards ourselves and others.

Or as I've been told, don't judge others, but don't follow them into sin and error, either.

I think of the Lord saying two things about judgment: First, judge not so we will not be judged, and then judge with righteous judgment. I think what I said above answers both sides of that and is how we keep it in balance. We can judge whether the path another takes is one we can join them on, or whether it isn't, but we need not judge them in the process.