The easiest thing for mankind to forget is really the one thing we all need to remember – i.e., each and every one of us is a sinner. When society, including Christians, stand on “their” rights, they almost always fall out of God’s grace and mercy. The very substance of peace and gratitude, over war and contempt, is God’s grace and mercy. Is it any wonder then that our lives (when we feel and act like our opinions rank over God’s grace and mercy) are engulfed in turmoil and destruction?
How do we abandon a life dependent on God’s grace and mercy? The easiest way is forgetting we all are sinners, who constantly are chalking up personal wrongs. The protocol ruling today revolves around overlooking “OUR wrongs”, while condemning OTHERS’ mistakes and shortcomings. A personally pious and self-indulgent mind frame fuels us to determine we are not in need of God’s grace and mercy; but, wow, others certainly need a mega dose. Maybe, we are so high on our horses that we become oblivious to the reality that true stature is best attained on repenting knees.
Humanity, being so consumed by demanding their rights, has totally disenabled their ability to recognize and recant their wrongs. Why is this important? The answer is because the doors to heaven open to sinners who rest in Christ’s righteousness, not in their own rights. Only by recognizing and admitting we are sinners, saved ONLY by CHRIST’s righteousness, do we receive the gift (not right) of salvation and eternity in God’s presence. Plain and simple, it is God’s grace and mercy that enables sinners to turn from wrongs, cling to what’s right and, ultimately, be saved under Christ’s righteousness.
In no way am I saying it is wrong to care about and, across the board, support human issues; but we are called to do so as sinners reaching out in God’s love, not as flawless commandos wielding hateful judgment. Through understanding we are flawed, we best let God work through us and yield HIS power to right all wrongs. God, alone, is entitled to judge. If mankind would rest in God and let Him direct our actions, even though sinners, we would be able to see God working through us to change so much of what is so wrong in our world.
Before letting go of my pencil for the week, one more thought I yearn to share. Our world, currently, is under many different epidemics of destruction and death. Yes, when God calls us to do so, each and every one of us must, in truth and boldness, let God work through us. However, to best stand for God we must go before Him on bended knee and, like David going up against Goliath, pray and beg God to work through our sinful being to unleash His power to defeat all evil giants attacking our world – be it in Hospital ICU’s, Afghanistan or our very own hearts and minds. Only through God working inside us can, and must, we defeat our enemies with God (not us) holding judgment and the tally sheet.
As we head into this week, may we not scream our rights but fall down in prayer, begging God’s grace and mercy to end our wrongs and resurrect His children whose bodies are diseased, bravely fallen for our freedom, grieving as Gold Star families or cut off from a path to freedom. May we most humbly seek God’s intercession, not under the clout of our “know-it-all” smartness but beneath the acknowledgement that we are sinners, yet God welcomes us, forgives our transgressions and answers our prayers. This week we have a choice. Do we combatively hop on our soapbox and proclaim OUR rights? Or, do we claim the cleansing waters of God’s grace and implore His mercy to make us instruments of HIS justice, change and peace?
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 