OK…….. seriously. What is up with this. This car was actually in very good shape but it was so trashed. There was a layer of film on the windows that would have take a full bottle of glass cleaner to take care of. I wonder how long it would take to detail this car out.
Imagine if after a lifetime of God dealing with our foolishness he said one day that he was done with us and was “going to wipe the dust from his shoes” and move on? Where would we be. Fortunately, unlike man there is no limit to Gods forgiveness.
We need to be very careful about who we decide is no longer worthy of mercy and grace for none of us actually are. Yes people can hurt us but nothing like the hurt of unforgiveness.
None of us are above forgiving another. We all face situations where we must make the choice to either rise to the occasion and forgive or bury ourselves in our percieved self rightousness and cloak our unforgiveness in scripture. The real measure of a Christian is their ability to “…forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us”
I stopped at a McDonalds yesterday for a quick lunch and decided I would be somewhat healthy and ordered a chicken sandwich. The picture on the menu looked pretty good so I ordered it. Well, what I got and what was advertised was two completely different things.
Photo 1 is of the advertised sandwich and photo 2 is what I actually got. I think this pretty well sums up what is wrong in today’s business.
“Oh Lord it’s hard to be humble, when you’re perfect in every way…..” Remember that 70’s hit song ? “… I can’t wait to look in the mirror, because I get better looking each day.” We laugh when we hear this song but how close to the truth is that song? I think if we spend some quality time in front of the mirror looking into our own eyes we will see we really aren’t “perfect in every way”. If anything we will, if we are honest with ourselves, realize that we are probably as imperfect as one can be. Looking at ourselves can be a very humbling experience and it should be. Of course there is another mirror that we can look into to see ourselves and that is the word of God. Isaiah said that our own righteousness is as filthy rags. That isn’t a very pleasant thing to think about. After all don’t we try to be good and to good deeds. While there is nothing wrong with trying to be good or doing good deeds, we need to realize that in light of God’s holiness it doesn’t even come close and for us to think we are perfect in every way is a very dangerous place to be.
When we understand this mindset then it is easier for us to approach others who we may have discarded in the past because they were “beneath” us or because they don’t fit a certain profile that we think a person should be. Every person deserves a chance to hear the gospel of salvation but if we have convinced ourselves that we are “perfect in every way” then we will never even see that person that may be crying out for help. Too look beyond what a person is, we must first look deep into what we are and then be honest enough with ourselves to realize that in the end we are nothing and it is only by the grace of God that we can take our next breath.
Over the past several weeks I feel like God has been stirring up some things in my life. I haven’t always been the person I think God would have me to be and in many ways I have failed. For many, many years I lived for myself even though I knew the truth of how I should be living. I put God on the back burner and only really called out in times of trouble. Interesting thing though, even though He really had no right to answer me or help me after the way I acted, he was there to help me through whatever problem I was facing. Then just as sure as anything I return to my old ways. It was a cycle that I suppose I had grown comfortable in.
I don’t know if it the fact that I am getting older or the fact that things seem to be getting worse everywhere I look or if it is a combination of both. All I know is I feel my priorities are changing and the things that I think are important may not be as important as I think they are. I am beginning to understand what God’s grace is and what that means for my life and the life of those around me. Is this change easy? Not always…… there are some things that I am having issues changing…. Imagine that! At the end of the day however I realize that God is working on me. He is bringing about change that will only benefit me. I may not like the change but I have to realize that in the end He has my best interest at heart.
Do I claim to be perfect? Do I claim to be a good person? Far from it. I am beginning to realize what Paul means when he says “that thing I don’t want to do I do, and that thing I want to do I don’t do….oh wretched man that I am…. Who can save me” (paraphrased). I am where I am only by the grace of God and nothing more. I haven’t done anything to earn grace and mercy and I certainly cannot add anything to that gift. I can however, take that grace and mercy and share with others. It isn’t about cleaning up our act and dressing up and getting my hair cut………. It is about coming to God and opening my heart to him and letting him be Lord of my life. It is about developing a relationship with the Creator through his son Jesus. It is about letting others know of this wonderful gift no matter who they are or what they are doing or how they look. It is about accepting change in my life, accepting Gods work in my life and accepting others as they are.