Life Matters, December 31, 2021

I have a New Year’s resolution. To follow Jesus. But, I’ll say this, “Please don’t expect me to be perfect.” Jesus is perfect. I, however, am not. I often feel like a little boy trying to follow in the footprints of his papa.

An old story that, I believe, owes its popularity to the applicability of its message, is the one titled Footprints. One night a man had a dream about walking along the beach with the Lord. The sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: his and the Lord’s.

After the last scene flashed before him, he looked at the footprints, noticing that at the most difficult times in his life there were only one set of footprints.

“Lord, you said you would walk with me all the way, if I followed you. But during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. Why did you leave me when I needed you most?”

The Lord replied, “I love you and would never leave you. In your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, that was when I carried you.”

Our goal, however, is and should be perfection. Jesus tells us to be perfect when He instructs us to: “Be ye therefore perfect…” then He gives us the standard for perfection “…even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) Many and varied are the ideas of perfection in this life. By many and varied people. To be defined as perfect by one set of ideas gets us in trouble with a different set. To attain to perfection in the eyes of some people only serves to get us in trouble with people of other notions.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, being our complete and ever reliable example of perfection, is the one we need to look to for teaching, then also for the power to overcome the carnal desires of our own heart and mind and the power to live a life that is acceptable and pleasing to Him. He is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (I Corinthians 1:30) “He is our peace…and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us [Jew and Gentile].” (Ephesians 2:14) We are, after all, all of one blood. Of one Creator. Created in his image. There is no difference beyond color. There are some with missing limbs, some with scars, some with broken minds, etc., but in general construct we are all the same.

And besides, all of us have a conscience that attaches itself to the highest good that we know. We may ignore that highest good, we may struggle against it, we may even openly defy it, but at the end of the day, in the quiet, in the dark of the night, when we are alone, the highest good that we know prevails. It is imperative that, as Christians, we live and teach the highest good of the Bible. Including, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31) Which brings up a few questions. If I feel like a victim and want to be treated like a victim, does that mean I should treat everyone else as “victims?” Does it mean if I want to be immoral that I should then be immoral to others? Does it mean if I want to feel good about myself apart from Truth I should then do all that I can to make others feel good about themselves apart from Truth? No, there is a Law that is higher than the law of “its right if it makes me feel good.” It is called Truth. The Truth of God. God Himself. He is the Standard to which we should adhere. The “victim mentality,” the immorality, the desire to feel good about ourselves, all have some things in common. The desire to be fulfilled. The desire to be respected. We cannot be everyone’s fulfillment. Only God can be that. We cannot, with a clean conscience, be respectful about wrongdoing. Crimes must be addressed; they must be stopped. We can, however, treat every person with the respect due a fellow human being. The Wokeians are confused, thinking everything they promote and do must be respected, including the disrespect with which they mistreat those of opposing opinions. Jesus has a better way, so may we say with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Life Matters!

A happy and joyful New Year to all!