"My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises." Psalm 119:148
Have you ever know someone who complains about someone else's behavior while exhibiting the exact same behavior? I have known several people like that...in fact, I have BEEN that person on several occasions. It is very easy to see the faults and bad characteristics of others and very hard to see our own faults and bad characteristics. It's like we look in the mirror and see what we WANT to see, not what is really there, staring back at us.
Romans 12:3 says, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."
Lots of good stuff packed in that little verse! Sober judgement...seeing yourself accurately, through God's eyes instead of your own. God has distributed you the right amount of faith and grace to look at yourself accurately, you just have to CHOOSE to USE it!
People who are not using that faith and grace might have too high a view of themselves, making them proud, vain, judgemental and accusing. But, in the same way, some may have too low a view of themselves, making them timid, lacking in self confidence and always deferring to others. When we look at ourselves in either of these ways, we can push others away from us instead of attracting, and we can also push God away as well. Seeing a distorted view of ourselves keeps God from being able to work in us and through us in the ways he has planned for us.
In KidsPraise, we teach kids that the Bible is like a mirror because it shows you things about yourself that you need to change, or more accurately things that GOD can change when we open our hearts to him. God's grace helps you to be truthful about yourself.
KNOWING that God's grace is meant for me allows me to know and be reassured that God's love for me is unconditional. This allows me to hold the mirror up to myself and ask God to fix the things that are lacking or wrong AND allows me to celebrate and praise God for the good in me as well!
Dear Lord, I ask that you allow me to see myself accurately through YOUR eyes and know that I don't need to judge myself against anyone else. I don't need to judge others either. Thank you for who I am in you. Amen
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