And then I trip on a crack in the sidewalk.
Seriously - I think God puts cracks in sidewalks to humble me. You see, when I get to that moment where I think I'm doing pretty well, looking pretty good, realizing others are noticing me in all my fabulousness - I trip on a crack in the sidewalk. I don't usually fall all the way down to the ground. I just stumble enough to look ridiculous before I catch my balance and straighten up. Do you want to know what I think about those cracks?
They show me just how much God loves me.
How is that, you may ask? Well, He loves me too much to let me live some deluded lie. He cares so much about my heart and soul that He is willing to let me stumble sometimes so that I can see the truth. It isn't that God wants me to have low self-esteem, or that I should never be proud of the things I accomplish. Its that He wants my esteem and pride to stem from the true source of its worth: Jesus.
I am fabulous. Because Jesus died on a cross 2,000 years ago to make me that way. I don't have it all together on my own, but I have it all in Christ. I will never be the perfect wife, mom, friend, daughter, or teacher. But every day that I look to Jesus as my guide I know that I will get closer and closer to living a life worthy of this beautiful gospel He wrote.
Humility is a beautiful thing, and we can never underestimate the importance of knowing where we really stand apart from Christ. I am no more worthy of God's love than any other human being that has ever existed. I love you, dear friends, but neither are you. For those of us who happened to grow up in the church, I think its pretty easy to convince ourselves that we're better than a lot of people. We wouldn't ever say that out loud - we know that such thinking isn't right. . . But, our thoughts and sometimes even our actions betray this hidden belief that somehow we're more worthy.
I think that has something to do with why we can become so lethargic and even bored in our faith. Its hard to sacrifice your life for a Savior that you aren't really sure you needed. . .
I hope this doesn't sound mean, but today I'm praying that you trip on a crack or two in the sidewalk. Nothing serious. I don't want you to fall all the way down to the ground. . . But I do hope that there are some moments of intense clarity for all of us. Moments when we realize just how unworthy we really are. When we acknowledge that we are truly no different or better than any other human on this planet.
It is in those moments that we can rejoice over what Jesus did. It is then that we simply cannot suppress the longing to offer our lives up to Him and live for Him more fully.
Paul writes it like this in Philippians 2. . .
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
So today, don't curse at the cracks in the sidewalk that make you lose your footing and maybe a little face. . . See them as God's tender, loving way of reminding you that apart from Christ, you are nothing.
And with Him, you have everything.
*Update: I've been pondering this idea all morning, and had a few more thoughts to share that I hope will be encouraging. . . check 'em out here.
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