Life is full of checklists and frequently we find ourselves checking the boxes we didn’t mean to check. I am a creature of checklists. I love them because checking things off gives me a sense of freedom. However, I daily find myself checking the box of sin, which only confines me. Today was one of those days, the kind where bad choices smack you in the face and you’re not sure what hit you. Well, I am sure of what hit me and worse I am sure that it hit my husband too, hard. I am convicted and humbled to admit that my mouth frequently gets me into trouble. And truly it’s not only my mouth, but the heart behind my mouth. My husband rightfully called me out on my criticism of him and I am ashamed to admit that I had to apologize for much worse. You see, I had to apologize for my critical words, but more than that I had to apologize for the reason behind my words: my disrespect of him. My disrespect that sometimes might derive from his actions/words, but often derives from my personal fears and idols in life. So, tonight I learned a valuable lesson: that we cannot hide from our sin or our idols in life. Our sin will flesh itself out in whatever we say and do. The thing that we value and hope in more than Christ himself will be revealed and we have two choices. We can deny that sin which is blatantly before us and continue to live in naïve pride or we can own up to our sinfulness and seek forgiveness, first from Christ than from the person we slapped in the face with the particular day’s checklist. Which box will you check?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Checklist
Life is full of checklists and frequently we find ourselves checking the boxes we didn’t mean to check. I am a creature of checklists. I love them because checking things off gives me a sense of freedom. However, I daily find myself checking the box of sin, which only confines me. Today was one of those days, the kind where bad choices smack you in the face and you’re not sure what hit you. Well, I am sure of what hit me and worse I am sure that it hit my husband too, hard. I am convicted and humbled to admit that my mouth frequently gets me into trouble. And truly it’s not only my mouth, but the heart behind my mouth. My husband rightfully called me out on my criticism of him and I am ashamed to admit that I had to apologize for much worse. You see, I had to apologize for my critical words, but more than that I had to apologize for the reason behind my words: my disrespect of him. My disrespect that sometimes might derive from his actions/words, but often derives from my personal fears and idols in life. So, tonight I learned a valuable lesson: that we cannot hide from our sin or our idols in life. Our sin will flesh itself out in whatever we say and do. The thing that we value and hope in more than Christ himself will be revealed and we have two choices. We can deny that sin which is blatantly before us and continue to live in naïve pride or we can own up to our sinfulness and seek forgiveness, first from Christ than from the person we slapped in the face with the particular day’s checklist. Which box will you check?
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ouch. well said! the checklist at the top made me laugh though. i am Checklist Queen #2 - oh how they bring me joy.
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