Waiting Watchfully

Throughout life, day by day, we make decisions on how to act. Each of us forms attitudes and cultivate emotions, we set goals for ourselves and try to attain them. We do these things individually, as well as in various groups: our family, friends, church, community, occupation, state. In all of these contexts the kind of people we are, the kind of goals we have, and the rules we observe in decision-making are ethical matters. All human behavior and character is subject to appraisal according to moral values; every one of our attainments (whether they be aims that are fulfilled or character traits that are developed) and every one of our actions (whether they be mental, verbal, or bodily behavior) express an unspoken code of right and wrong. All of life is ethical, and making ethical decisions can be confusing and difficult. Every one of us needs a moral compass to guide us through the maze of moral issues and disagreements that confront us every moment of our lives.

All ethical judgments require a dependable standard of right and wrong. Believers in Jesus welcome the biblical standard of right and wrong. The biblical attitude is expressed by the apostle John when he says “ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous  (burdensome)“  (I John 5:3). The following is a story that all young people should hear:

            Tracy felt like a slave working for many masters: teachers, parents, bosses, and peers. She worked for hours each week to write a paper that would get an (A) from Miss Johnson. Chemistry was worse. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get above a (B). And for Tracy, that big (B) on her otherwise straight (A) report card said, “Tracy, you’re not good enough.” For Tracy, being a member of the girls’ volleyball team was anything but relaxing. If she made any mistakes it was a major disaster. Precise and demanding, Tracy’s father often corrected her. Tracy’s goal was to do everything right the first time so that her father would be pleased with her, but she seldom succeeded. As a scooper at the local ice-cream shop, she attempted to be accurate and efficient, but the manager noticed her only when she did something wrong. Then one Sunday morning the pastor’s words shocked her. “Do you really know what God expects of you? Or have you been making up your own standards? Well, God tells us what He wants from us. Micah 6:8 reads, ”And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  “Notice,” the pastor continued, “that God says nothing about winning, being the best, or receiving high ratings from your supervisors. God asks you to ‘act justly.’ That means that you please God only—you work hard, you’re fair, your motives are pure, and you don’t permit false earthly standards to be the measure of your value. You show compassion, you think about others, and you keep the spotlight off yourself. And you ‘walk humbly with your God.’ You spend quality time with Jesus. Because you realize that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, you submit yourself totally to Him. This is the only way you can become the person God saved you to be.” That morning Tracy made a discovery: The Lord always noticed her good work. Tracy realized that she could stop trying so hard and relax in the presence of Jesus.”

Many individuals, like Tracy, try to measure up to the wrong standard. It is imperative that today’s Christian leaders understand and teach the concept of prayerful study of the Scriptures, which will free us to live by God’s yardstick.

The bottom line of being a Christian is keeping the first and greatest commandment – love for the Lord. Attached to this bottom line is Matthew 22:39 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus did not say “…as you like yourself.” Most of us, at many times in our lives, do not like ourselves. We look into the mirror of our soul and at the mirror in the bathroom, and we don’t always like what we see. We see the tell-tale signs of aging. We see faults and blemishes in our skin, our hairline, and even in our character. Sometimes we see through our own phoniness, and stubbornness, and pride, and even our selfishness. And we just don’t like what we see!

 

However, we do love ourselves!  We give ourselves plenty of “elbow room” when it comes to making mistakes! There are always so many reasons. When it comes to watching out for ourselves, look at the latitude we take!  In that sense, we do love ourselves, even if we don’t always like ourselves. As Christian leaders, we need to believe and accept God’s unconditional love for us, and our “neighbor.” 

        

The love cycle always begins with God — with the Good News of His boundless mercy, and grace, and forgiveness in Christ Jesus.  If we really believe that, we can be free to busy ourselves with rejoicing in God’s love rather than trying to earn it by our behavior.  When the reality of God’s love fills us and surrounds us, He frees us to serve Him willingly and joyfully. The bottom line of the Christian faith is to know that God loves you.  Secure in that love, we are freed to love God “because He first loved us,” and to love our neighbors as God loves us, and allow Him to develop His yardstick both in our lives and in those around us.