Take Heed Lest You Fall

I am under no illusions that I am perfect or impervious to sin. Obviously, I sin everyday. But it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that my sin isn’t as bad as somebody else’s. Is my pride worse than murder? If I looked at things society’s way, I could think that. They don’t throw people in prison for pride. We think our justice system is overloaded now, whew! Every house would have to be a prison if pride was punishable.

But God sees it that way. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

I heard the other day that the pastor of a church here in Orlando had an affair and stepped down from his ministry. This is a big church that many friends of mine attend. It made me very sad, not only for the husband and his wife and children–and his father, who pastors another very large church in the area–but for my friends who were under his leadership. But I also think that God wept at his sin.

But He weeps at mine as well. Mine just aren’t quite as visible, and they don’t hurt as many people. But they are still ugly in God’s eyes. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ who covered my sin with His blood. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

It’s easy to point fingers at other people; it’s much more uncomfortable to point them back at ourselves. It’s easy to sit on the seat of judgement; it’s much harder to be the one standing before that seat. But we all deserve to be there. I don’t look at this man with judgement in my eyes, I look in the mirror and say, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

Thankful today for
678. Grace
679. My Christmas packages already ready to mail
680. A decorated house
681. Advent
682. A promise fulfilled
683. Laughter
684. Dog hair (’cause it means we have a dog)
685. Amazon.com
686. Shared life
687. That my eldest doesn’t need me to get up with him on school mornings
688. The ability to reason
689. My children’s health