THE DITCH OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS
Last time we discussed the ditch of guilt which lies in wait along the road of every trial. Now we explore the ditch of self-righteousness. We all have tendencies toward falling in one ditch or the other, and sometimes, like me, you might even bounce back and forth. During my Stage IV battle with metastatic melanoma, I over-corrected from one ditch to the other, producing needless stress in my already complicated journey. So I write to help us recognize and avoid these ditches in our trials – to stay “under” His grace.
Much of what we learn about Jesus in the Bible comes from His conversations dealing with sickness. True, sickness is part of this fallen world, it’s also part of schooling us in His freedom. It’s definitely a wake-up call, and thus we can discover Who He really is and who we are in Him … and who we are apart from Him as well. Perhaps for you, the Lord wants you to take the crucial first step in getting free of self-righteousness by admitting you’re not righteous apart from Him!
Self-righteousness manifests in many forms. When he saw his father’s graciousness, the older brother of the prodigal son complained with entitlement and superiority, “Father, I have served you these many years … but this son of yours has squandered your property …” (Luke 15:29). When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, I had been a pastor for 12 years and questioned the Lord on why He would “put me on the shelf.” It wasn’t long before full-blown self-pity and indifference began poisoning the well of my moods.
It was extremely liberating for me on that day I acknowledged God owed me zip, nothing, nada thing. The only thing I truly deserved was eternal separation from Him! I began “camping on” His mercy and forgiveness because Jesus took my punishment on Himself on the cross. Only then did I feel the the fullness of His freedom.
In Luke 7:4, the Jewish leaders pressed Jesus to heal the servant of a Roman Centurion, who though a Gentile, was very friendly to Israel. “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” Yet the Centurion made it clear he was not relying on his own performance, track record, or righteousness. He astounded Jesus with his response, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof… ” (Luke 7:6). He didn’t feel deserving of Jesus even visiting him, let alone healing his servant! This is a perfect example of the heart attitude we should bring when we seek the Lord’s “visits” to help or heal! Yes, He is sooo good and kind, but let’s be clear on why! It’s not because I’m so good, it’s because of His great mercy and grace.
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16
Lord, enable us to stay on the Grace Road and out of the ditches of guilt or self-righteousness!
Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved by Joe & Terri Fornear.
Scripture quotations from the NASB.
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*Do you know “The Two Ways to Get to Heaven“?
*¿Tu sabes “Dos Maneras de Ir al Cielo“
