Nah, I\'m Good

Nah, I’m Good


We, as Americans, do not go for all that politeness and manners stuff. Well, at least us on the East Coast don’t.  If you offer us something to eat, and we do not like it, we just say something like, “Nah, I’m good”.  That little phrase can cover a number of scenarios.  Maybe you just ate.  Maybe you are trying to lose weight. Probably you just can’t stand what is being offered.  When I was young my parents tried to teach me better manners.  When offered something I did not like I was supposed to act like the missionaries. Missionaries did not want to offend their hosts and so they politely took the monkey brains they were offered and ate it with great gratitude.  I am a somewhat picky eater, no fat jokes here, and so I moved to the East Coast where I could say, “Nah, I’m good” and the host could say, “Suit yourself” and no one’s feelings are hurt.
So, here is my question for the day:  “When was the last time that you confessed and repented of a sin”?  Is your life marked by frequent times of confession and repentance?  Times of making things right with the one who came and died to give you that privilege?  I am not talking about the general prayer of forgive me today for any sins that I might have committed, I don’t think I have committed any, but better make sure, just in case.  I am talking about being humbled by your attitude or actions enough so that you call them what God calls them, seek his forgiveness, and then seek to think and act in a more biblical way.  Should this not be a frequent thing in our lives?
What does it mean when we have huge gaps in our times of repentance?  Are we looking into the mirror of the Word of God and walking away saying, “Nah, I’m good”.  Are we seeing the face of Jesus in worship and allowing his light of holiness to shine on our lives but walking away saying, “Nah, I’m good”?  Are we rejoicing in the beauty of the truth of the incarnation, looking at how we are involved in the lives of others, and saying, “Nah, I’m good”? Are we looking to the heavens for his soon return and the looking at all the priorities of our lives and saying, “Nah, I’m good”?  I trust that we are all growing more into the image of Jesus every day but shouldn’t the truths that we are growing in bring more confession and repentance rather than less?
The Christian walk is completely backwards from what we would, in our flesh, think.  Seeing ourselves in the light of the holiness of God is a great thing for our self esteem.  It destroys it.  We are sinners.  We are good at being sinners but that is nothing to brag about.  But because we are one in Christ, we stand in his righteousness.  God sees us as holy and blameless (Eph 1).  That is our position.  Our practice, every day, is still in need of a lot of work.  But it never changes our position.  I am holy, blameless, child of the almighty God who is loved more than I deserve.  In practice, I need a lot of work.  Thankfully, God empowers that work and rejoices with me the times I get it right.  He also forgives and embraces me the great number of times I get it wrong and find I need to confess and repent.  Each time I get it right and each time I get it wrong I am reminded of his great love, grace, mercy and power in my life.  Great truths for my self esteem.  

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