Have mercy on me, O God,according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.~Psalm 51:1-2
Have you ever been filled with righteous indignation only to discover that you were actually full of self-righteousness? Righteousness is being aligned to God’s will, putting aside one’s need for justification and realizing that He is the only One who is Righteous and it is through Christ alone that I am justified. Self-righteousness is based on pride. You get tunnel vision and the only thing you see is your pain. Your thinking gets misconstrued and you think it’s up to you to fix things, you hold up the mirror to everyone else but yourself. Frustration begins to rule and good intentions will have you thinking that are you are doing the right thing, but you end up in a place of destruction ( Proverbs 14:12).
I wound up in this place recently. I was so intent on doing His work; committed to fight the good fight and not let the trials I face prevent me from answering the call. I was frustrated that others could not recognize my effort. I could not see any one else’s struggles, just my own. I had leaned to my own understanding and gotten lost.
Things spiraled into anger and angst because I was listening to the wrong voice, self. His voice is peace. His voice is love. His voice says be still. His voice does not condemn ( Romans 8:1). Self-righteousness will have you hearing the voice of the “accuser” and if you listen to it will set you on of course of struggling to prove yourself rather than resting in the grace of God. It leads to self pity and despair rather than the hope that Christ brings.
Self-righteousness will have you speak too soon rather than really listening to the heart of God. But all is not lost because of our faithful and loving God; His unfailing love says that I can go to Him and confess my sin. I can ask Him to blot out my transgressions and wash me from my iniquity and my sin ( Psalm 51:1). I can come to Him with confidence knowing that if I confess, He will forgive me.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness ( 1 John 1:9).
I can also take another step in grace by humbling myself and going to my brothers and sisters who I have transgressed in my self proclaimed indignation and ask for forgiveness because of the truth. The truth being that His truth sets me free to do this without fear. For in Christ I have liberty. The accuser is silenced. Bitterness cannot take root. Frustration can no longer choke love. God wins as always!
Father, thank You for showing me the error of my ways. Thank You for grace to ask for forgiveness and allowing me to receive your mercy. You are so good Lord and I love. I thank You for Your Son who covers me in His blood and washes me. Forgive me for my pride and self-righteousness. Keep me humble Lord and my heart aligned to Your Word and my ears attuned to only Your voice. Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me that I might not sin against You or my fellow man. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me to do your will. It is You who will get the glory Lord. In Jesus name I do pray. Amen
