As Jesus followers we are called into the Kingdom Life. This blog will help us converse and learn what that means. It will contain thoughts on Scripture, Sermon Reflection, Leadership Training and interesting reads. -Pastor Jeff

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Recognizing is Relinquishing

Read Luke 18:9-14

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

"At least I'm not like that guy/gal."  How many times has that thought fluttered across your mind?  No matter how rough you feel, what you've been doing or haven't been doing, you look around and quickly identify, "At least I'm better off than 'so and so.'"  Did you know that one of the greatest obstacles to the journey of Lent is our sense of “having it altogether,” or at least more together than someone else?
We live by comparisons.

When I left for basic training, an old Army vet gave me some advice.  Stay in the middle of the pack at Basic Training.  Don't get out front, because everyone will be waiting on you to fall.  Don't fall to the back, because then you draw the eye of the Drill Sergeant.  Just find a nice spot in the middle of the pack and blend in.  At that point it really doesn't matter how fast you run, or how poorly in shape you are, you look around and make sure that you can always point to some one behind you.  Your run time might be awful...but at least it's less awful than the other soldier at the back of the pack.  When you get to the end of the run, you can stand with the others laughing about how poorly the person yet to finish performs.  

In our minds we think, "At least I'm not like that guy/gal."

That sure sounds like pride to me...  

Today's story tells of one man quick to identify where he stood in the pack.  In his mind, there were many further behind than he was.  In fact, compared to others he was doing pretty well.  But that's the problem..."compared to others."  That's not how this spiritual journey works.  Spiritual growth is not a game of running a little faster than others run.  Spiritual growth happens as we "run the race marked out for us"(Hebrews 12:1) and no one else.  Spiritual growth happens as we take seriously our own journey.  If Lent is about repentance, reorienting ourselves to God's will, then repentance happens not as we find our place in the middle or in front of the pack but as we find our place before a Holy God.

In the presence of God our pride is stripped away...and we become more like the second man in the story, who recognizes quickly the gulf that divides us from God.  In that moment we recognize that my journey with Jesus is not about doing the bare minimum to stay in front of others.  It's about giving everything I have to being the person God is calling me to be.  It means not resting on what I think I have "altogether."  It means recognizing that any good in me comes not on my own but by the grace of a God in me.  It means relinquishing the comparisons and confessing our need for the grace and mercy of Jesus.    

Then we will find that this journey is best taken not by looking back on others who we have perceived have fallen behind, but by locking arms with others that are running the same race we are, dependent like we are every moment on the unmerited favor, abundant grace, and faithful mercy of God.  

Write a Prayer
Today I challenge you to write a prayer confessing those that you feel as though you are better off,  relinquishing your pride and recognizing your need for grace.  In this prayer I challenge you to make the commitment to run the race marked out for you and for no one else.  


1 comment:

  1. Thanks Pastor Jeff. I'm really loving these devotionals. Keep 'em coming brother!!

    ReplyDelete