HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A SERMON THAT YOU SWORE WAS FOR SOMEONE ELSE?
At times, I've showed up for church feeling pretty confident about my prior week. I was on. I had hit every task I had set for myself. My meals were prepared and executed how I had planned for the week, my windows were all sparkling (without finger or dog prints for 5 minutes) and I had managed to keep my patience and tone in check with my children. And although that doesn't happen often, for some reason that truth escaped me.
MY PRIDE CAN GET IN THE WAY OF WHAT I KNOW IS TRUE.
Rather than express gratefulness for an accomplished week, sometimes I entertain disapproving thoughts of others that may have missed their best week. Lucky for me, God has a way of humbling me when I least expect it, and when I need it the most!
Have you ever sat in church and swore the sermon was for someone else? I have. I vividly remember sitting in service one particular Sunday morning and smugly thinking, "man I wish so and so was here because they really need to hear this message." And then right in that instant I heard a faint whisper in my ear from God saying, "yeah, but I made sure you were here instead!" Wait, what?!? ….UGH!
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Mathew 7:3
I hate when that happens! But the reality is, I NEED that to happen. Pride is so ugly and if we don't check it at the door, God is more than happy to do it for us. I can have a best week with parenting, but I'm still not any better than someone who didn't. I can have the best looking windows but if I throw a stone to someone who doesn't, mine are still stained. I can make the most delicious and healthy meals in a week, but I still fall short when I delight in it more than the people I'm doing it for. And although I will continue to strive for my best each week, I will never master perfection in any of it, and that's okay. God doesn't expect perfection, he is looking for purpose. His purpose, not mine. What I've learned is that I need to trade in my self gratification for grace toward others, pride for humility and superiority for my stains.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
proverbs 11:2
My spiritual growth is a continuous work in progress. I can't live my best life if I stop putting in the effort. Easter weekend is a great time for me to model Jesus's humility and show others the same grace that he has given me my entire life.
Happy Easter & God Bless.