“You’re fortunate if
your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you’re not sure, if you
notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe, then you
know you are out of line. If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you
believe, then it’s wrong.” (Romans 14:22-23; MSG)
This topic is on my heart tonight. It’s been on my heart
more than usual recently, and certainly is on my list of things for
self-examination this Lent. Especially as I write these devotionals and publish
them in a public forum, I must ask myself, “Do people in my inner circle see
behaviors, actions and attitudes in my life that reflect what I claim to
believe?” 1
Tough question.
I find the thing I’m grappling the most with right now to be
selfishness. It’s so very easy to explain away a lot of my selfishness. I do
give a lot of time and energy to people and things outside of myself. Some
people even tell me they consider me selfless. But I know in my heart that I still
could do better. Isn’t that always my battle, though? Constantly striving to be a better version of myself?
Perhaps the reason for the nag on my heart about being
selfish is connected to a recent event in which I acted out of selfishness.
Perhaps it is a recent event where self-will dominated, not God-will. Perhaps
I’m simply feeling over-sensitive given some recent emotional events.
Perhaps God is letting me know it’s time again for
growth.
Often when I feel something so heavily on my heart it is a
good indicator both that my behavior requires some examination and also that
it’s time to grow a little stronger in that area. Where am I selfish? Why do I
feel the need to be selfish in that situation? What can I do to change the
behavior? Am I lacking firm boundaries? What is the nature of the relationship
in which I feel selfish? Is it healthy?
Of the many little cards and notes of prayers, inspirational
sayings and scripture I have around my home, one says, “Lord, I want to be more
like you. May I see where changes are necessary, and trust you for the help I
need.”
Sometimes when my eyes pass over this card I find myself
unwilling to read through it because I know it can mean hard evaluation and
difficult change.
Following Jesus is not a calling to take lightly. Constantly
striving to be more like him means constantly fighting my human nature. I am
not naturally selfless; by nature I am selfish. And in my selfish nature I can
end up withholding love from those who need it, wasting gifts God so graciously
gave me, and hiding my light under a bucket.2 I don’t want to be
that girl.
My prayer today – as I suck in my breath, preparing for hard
work ahead – is that God reveal to me where I am selfish and that I trust him
to help me make a change. No excuses. I also pray that God grant me the ability
to have grace and patience with myself, as I am human and therefore often prone
to falling short of my expectations.
Amen! =D
1 “Teach believers with
your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by your integrity.” (1
Timothy 4:12; MSG)
“Live well, live
wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.”
(James 3:13; MSG)
2 “You’re here to be
light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be
kept. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under
a bucket, do you? Shine!” (Matthew 5:14-16; MSG, para.)
This verse appears in an earlier reflection as well.
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