“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behavior.” Stephen M.R. Covey
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;” Romans 3:10
Rectify: “put (something) right; correct” New Oxford American Dictionary
There’s a song by Lifehouse called You and Me that gets to the point of what it’s like to be in an exclusive relationship where another person has the ability to consume our lives in a way that almost eliminates distractions. There’s a line in the chorus that states, “And it’s you and me and all other people, and I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you.” I think most of us know what if feels like to stare lovingly into another’s eyes and see love staring back. There is little that is more powerful than the feeling that reciprocated love can give. In a moment of shared love, judgements are put aside, motives are forgotten, and forgiveness seems unnecessary. In moments like that, we aren’t thinking of our love’s shortcomings and failings, we only see the others potential. Unfortunately, moments like that are fleeting. Often the ones we share those moments with take the brunt of our judgements and ridicule. Imperfection always dissapoints. And as humans, it’s impossible to comprehend perfection. However, there is a real relationship we can all have, where potential is seen above failure, forgiveness is promised before sin, and perfection is attainable. It’s in our relationship with our Savior. Like the Bible says, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” If we believe any of our friends, family, or loved ones are righteous, we are mistaken. If we believe ourselves to be righteous, we are in trouble. The truth is, we are all messed up in some way. But God sees us the way we see ourselves. Not by our actions, but by our intentions. He sees when our intentions or for good and not for evil, and He promises to act on our intentions and save us from ourselves. We cannot achieve perfection in this world, but we can have it in eternity with the one who enjoys us more than any other. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 We are the “joy” set before our Savior, let’s make Him our joy as well.
Daily Journaling Questions:
How did I help someone today?
What act of kindness did I perform today?
What did I learn today?
Who did I love today?
What about today do I want to remember forever?
What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thank you for reading. You mean a lot to me.
Jake