Christian Living

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“Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.'” - John 14:6a

I could make an educated guess that many of us have run across brothers and sisters who have very little room for imperfect or immature people. Maybe we have even encountered one of them in our bathroom mirror. I know I have.

In order to maintain this distance one has to only make room for themselves. Actually that is not quite the reality. The truth would be that such persons cannot even make room for themselves because it is filled with an erroneous view of themselves.

It is much like the statement I have heard before:

The smallest package in the world is a person wrapped up in their own view of self.

But then it is only a view, with no cause for proof.

Those of us who have lived this lie must live a hard life, one of self-belittlement, because they do not live up to their own standard, as well as the bitterness born of discontentment with others.

Maybe we do not live that lie now because we were reminded that to be Christian means confession (which means to agree with, in this case God) of flaw and imperfection as well as sin by acknowledging the Lordship of One we can never match up to. Being a Christian is being a realist; living in a world that is not good in the truest sense and being part of a spiritual family and fellowship that is a hospital for sinners, not a hall of saints (though in actuality we are saints made positionally holy through our undaunted Leader).

It seems to me that as one gets onto the matter of following the Lord and growing one will eventually see how all persons fit into their life, regardless of their deeds, belief, station, ability or accomplishment. That may finally convict us that the Lord indeed uses all things for good, Him being the Personification of that goodness.

With that being the case we may then see hope for ourselves and our neighbors that we will be used by the Lord despite our deeds, belief, station, ability or accomplishment. Along with that is the reality that the cross of Christ completely levels the playing field that we call this world. Regardless of who we are we are no more above, or beneath, the next person.

The application of this most basic yet vital truth is that there is no need to belittle or exalt another or ourselves. The rain does indeed fall on both the just and the unjust. All have an access to the inclusive Grace of God through His Son even if the final response is one of rejection of that Grace. All of us at one time or another has at least temporarily kept that Grace at a distance. Even we Christians still fail in that.

If we have submitted to this Truth, which is Christ Himself, we agree with the thoughts above for these words only restate ancient truths taught by the One who is Truth.

May we so live with the Truth.

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