If you’ll look in the mirror you will probably see one of your greatest critics. It is yourself. Why is it that we look for the flaws in others instead of the good? Think about it. When someone pays you a compliment, when they see that you’re wearing something new, the appropriate response for you to give is, “Thank you.” How many times have we complimented someone’s shoes, for example, and they came back with, “they may be new, but they sure do hurt my feet;” or “I have had this dress for ages.” Leave it to us to sabotage any sense of happiness that a compliment could bring to encourage us.
When did God’s people look for character flaws in people, instead of digging deeply to find some shred of good in others. I can imagine if people spent more time focusing on how to please the Lord and to do his will, there would be less time to fall into the trap that would keep us pushed down into self-condemnation.
I used to think that I would never be good enough, smart enough, rich enough, or pretty enough to fit into my inflated view of what I thought the ideal person would be like. Then, after much prayer, I realized that the pedestal that I was trying to climb, wasn’t the Lord’s will for my life, but my own personal Tower of Babel, that would definitely need to come down before I could be effective in any ministry that the Lord purposed for me to accomplish.
It’s so difficult to experience true joy when there’s a cloud of condemnation over our heads. Why do you think that the Lord took the time to redeem us if he didn’t think we were worth saving? He loves us. Just because a child makes a mistake, you don’t throw them out with the garbage. You teach them how to correct it for the next time. You help them see where they strayed from the path, and help them to get back on it.
The spirit of the Pharisees who always wanted to be seen for how much money they gave, (although it was a small amount compared to the widow who gave all that she had), is alive and well in the church. Unfortunately, many people have captured that spirit of being self-important, and forget where the Lord found them.
If you feel defeated because of your own thinking; or you are discouraged because it seems that lately you have met nothing but roadblocks in your walk with God; it’s time to dig for the good. Know that the Lord loves you, even if you fail, and he is our Father who knows how to get us on the right path, so dig deeply for the good in others, and most of all, don’t forget to dig deeply for the good in yourself. The Lord knows you are worth life itself; can we reject the compliments he gives?
In the Time of the Lattereign 