Psalm 119:6
"Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your commands."
What do I compare myself to? We live in a competitive world that is always looking for benchmarks. What are our comparative markers? Friends? Co-workers? Competitors? Past productivity and successes?
The Psalmist compares his life to the commands of God. It's so much easier to compare ourselves to those around us, isn't it? There's always a chance that we'll look good when we step up next to someone else. But when we go toe to toe with God's commands, it's the great equalizer- "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
In the Psalmist's world, disgrace does not come from falling short of other's expectations or falling short of personal expectations. Disgrace comes from falling short of God's perfect way for us.
posted by Heather Z @ 10:07 PM
3 comments
Sacred Roads: Exploring the Historic Paths of Discipleship
3 Comments:
oIf we are only to use God's commands to gauge where we are at, how is it ever possible to feel good or satisfied in one's life? Won't we always "fall short"? As someone who constantly feels "less than" - this a tough concept to work through. It feels a little hopeless. How am I am to know God's perfect way for me?
I think you have to do it while holding God's hand or sitting in God's lap. In one way, it's helpful: when we compare ourselves to others, they might be better, but when we compare ourselves AND others to God's commands, we are all fallen.
In terms of falling short - I know I fall short of God every day. Yet I have experienced times when I knew God was smiling on me in approval. Not because I'm so awesome. I guess it was because in those moments I was fully bathed in the grace of Jesus and was able to receive that grace. Sitting in God's lap, in a sense.
The short answer, G, is that we can only feel satisfied because of God's love and grace. As Elaine said, when we compare ourselves to others, then we are only comparing ourselves to other people who are just as fallen as we are.
You are so valuable to God that he sent Christ to die for you. That's something to chew on for a few minutes.
On another level, we can never think that we attain salvation or blessing because of our own merit. Because when we compare our lives with his commands we will always fall short. But his grace has bought us not only our salvation, but also our adoption into his family-- that's huge!! And the ability to grow more and more like Jesus. That's where all of those "In Him" statements from Ephesians can really help us. It gets our identity rooted in Christ and not in anything else.
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