Her mistakes are not your victories.
I don’t know where it started. The “I’m better than she is. The “hey lets point the finger.” The “she did it worse.”
I’m reading a parable in Luke tonight about two men going to pray. Jesus told this parable to those confident in their righteousness; to those that looked down on everybody else.
One man says, “God, I thank you that I’m not like everybody else.” He goes on to name some of his buddies’ shortcomings. I’m thankful I’m not this; I’m thankful I haven’t done that. The next man just says, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” Luke 18:14
Be proud that your daughter made an A on her spelling test. Be proud that your son hit the home run. Be proud that your marriage, even rocky, has made it. Be proud that you met your weight loss goal… but y’all. Don’t be “proud” that you’re better than she is, that your kids are smarter, that your son plays better, that your marriage looks better, that you’re skinnier. Do not be proud that your mistakes are not as many as hers; that in some way your life is better than “that girl’s.” Lord, I’m not perfect- but at least I’m not that. Why do we do that?? Why do we take the mistakes of others and make them victories for ourselves? Do you really look better at the end of the day if your neighbor made ten mistakes while you, yourself, only made seven? Only seven? Even then, back in the Bible days, thousands and thousands of years ago people were pointing fingers- judging others, the entire time forgetting that they, too, are guilty of imperfection. Even then. Nothing has changed. No one has changed. Does that not break your heart? Why can’t we stop? At the end of the day it’s grace and mercy that saves us all, both of us..the pointer and the pointee. It all takes forgiveness. Y’all, the only thing we should be confident in is Jesus and His love. There is nothing we can do, nothing we can be…that “I’m sorry” doesn’t cover and thank God, cause don’t we all have something that needs forgiven? He loves us enough to hear us every time. We don’t have to decorate our prayers. It doesn’t have to be a “God I know I messed up today and I’m sorry but guess what? Somebody did it worse.” Instead it can just be “Gosh God, I’m sorry.” Anything you did today that didn’t glorify God is just as bad as the thing that so-and-so did yesterday that you are trying to talk about. I don’t know where it happened, thinking we have to paint ourselves better by tearing others apart, but y’all- just no. Not in conversation and not in prayer. God loves us for us. He knows you. He even knows so-and-so. And guess what? He loves us the same, and it’s not on a who wore it better; who did it worse- scale. There are two sides: forgiven and not forgiven. Saved and Not saved. Gosh God, I’m sorry. The only thing I’m confident in is that I’m perfect in nothing and forgiven in everything. Im not confident in my ways, but I am confident in Christ.
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3
Humble yourselves. No, you’re not better… but you are worth it. Let’s be nice humans, y’all. Hugs, Katie Want a free copy of my short devotional on recapturing your Jesus? Click here to download your free copy of Getting Back To Worthy <3
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