WATCHWORD:
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:3-5
Meditation:
Stop Judging!
In 1980, Johnny Lee had a hit record in the country western scene entitled “Looking for Love in all The Wrong Places.” Forgive me, Lord, but that song popped up in my mind on the morning of February 28, as I was reading Sarah Young’s devotional, Jesus Calling.
Actually, the devotional was very good, and it addressed the way we evaluate and judge ourselves, and compare ourselves with other people. That really spoke to me and I know from experience that such behavior can produce feelings of pride or inferiority; sometimes a mixture of both, at the same time. Comparing can be destructive and while we have cautioned our children to avoid it, too often we embrace it, even though we know it’s wrong and meaningless.
The phrase in Jesus Calling that triggered the song was this — “Don’t look for affirmation in the wrong places: your own evaluations, or those of other people.” I wonder, at an intellectual level, if we would say that the only source of real affirmation is God’s unconditional Love, and yet, at times, see God as this stern entity, judging us and displaying our faults for all to see.
As frail human beings we do look for ways to see how we are doing in this life, how we measure up, and it is natural to look to others. But what is the payoff? Are we comparing how our self-evaluated status measured against an unknown? Have you ever been disappointed in another person, one you had trusted and believed in and then discovered that your hero had the morals of an alley-cat? Or embezzled from the church? Or was the source of slander against you? How would you react to that? Could you turn the other cheek? Could you love that person as Jesus loves?
No? We are united with Christ and He “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing”. No judging, no comparing, just accepting and trusting. God loves you, even you. So, go and do likewise! Amen.
Bulletin Board:
What’s the difference between a bucket and a tub? For starters, the bucket pails in comparison. Get it?
You say you can’t compare apples to oranges? That always seems like a fruitful comparison to me.
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, we confess that we frequently compare ourselves to other people. We do it usually without even thinking about it. We think, “I’m glad I’m not like that person!” or “I wish I had their money,” or “I wish my health was like theirs.” Lord, that’s not your will for our lives. That’s a signal that our hearts need to change more. Holy Spirit, continue your work in us so that we focus on what really matters in the World, and that is our relationship with you, Jesus. Lord, help us to be ever-mindful of the fact that, without you, we’re nothing! Without you as the focal point in our lives, we can’t do anything worthwhile. Lord, we want to give you the credit in our hearts and with our lips. We want to glorify you always and forever. Thank you, Jesus. We love you. Amen.
