Own Up

"Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with your commands." Psalm 119:6

If we are going to be a follower of Christ than we better be prepared for the persecution that comes with it. It's not for the weak at heart, instead for the hearts that belong to Christ!

There is no disgrace or shame in Christ. There is only mercy, grace and forgiveness.

We bring on our own disgrace and shame when we live more in the flesh and world than in Christ and His word. And, if we are really honest with God and ourselves, it is not that we are being judged by others or surrounded by hypocrites in the church, it is that we are being convicted by the Holy Spirit but fail to realize it.  

So how do we deal with those convictions, by comparing our lives to that of others, or by recognizing our sinfulness before God, confessing them and repenting?

We are ALL at different walks with the Lord. So to compare our life and our place of faith with that of another is pointless. We should compare our faith to the faith of Christ. He will reveal to us how much we are serving and following Him.

So really, if we are going to call ourselves Christians than we better be prepared for the convictions that come with it. Christ sent the Holy Spirit to teach us, correct us, and guide us.  

When we compare we worry, we worry about what others think of us…our past, our lifestyles, etc. We actually even let humans define our value and purpose.

Christ defines our value and purpose. We should be concerned about what Christ thinks of us and we should go to Him.

Prayers: Lord help us realize that when we are living in the flesh that we are bringing on our own disgrace and shame. You tell us in Galatians that we are each responsible for our own conduct. Remind us daily to keep our eyes glued on You.  May we listen to the convictions of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus it’s easy to ignore the conviction and place the blame, keep us from doing so and help us take responsibility for our own actions. Amen