MY RIGHTEOSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS

God keeps me humble and I am so grateful that He does. It is SO easy to be a “good Christian” in a place where your faith never gets challenged. Like at church meetings or at work, I know that for a lot of people the work place is where you get challenged the most, but for me home is the place I face the most challenges.
Very often I find myself judging family members on their behavior or the things the say or the way they react in certain situations and I find myself imagining I am better than them because I am saved. I get puffed up with self righteousness and with what I “know” to be right.

Thank God I am saved because the moment I find myself doing this He cuts me the heart immediately and I am forced (in a good way) to ask forgiveness. Who am I compared to Him, what is my righteousness when compared to His. He reminds me that we are all the same in His eyes. He doesn’t see race or colour or stature or wealth. He doesn’t see male or female – He sees our hearts and our minds and we are all wicked in those places. We may put up a “front” to the world – but God knows us so intimately He knows what goes on inside. He sees you crying and broken on the inside while the world sees you laughing and smiling on the outside. He sees your hate and anger and bitterness on the inside while the world sees your loving and gentle ways on the outside. But we can only hide our true selves from the world for so long because what is in the heart eventually flows from the mouth anyway.

The thing is God sees what matters. In His eyes we are all equal. Who am I to think I am better than anyone else? Who am I to think I am more righteous than someone else?

Thank you Jesus for keeping me humble. Help me Father not judge, lest I be judged. I never want to come across as self righteous or proud, I want Your love, peace and joy to fill my heart and overflow so that, that will be what the world sees.
Keep me on my knees Lord, and let the righteousness I have in You be the righteousness the world sees – not my own Self Righteousness.
In Jesus’ name
Amen