When you let yourself down

I am aware that I preach about repentance and turning from sin quite a bit.  I preach that so much because I believe in my heart that as much as 85% of the American church is going to hell if Jesus comes back tomorrow.  And it usually does not usually upset church people when I say that because each and every one believes they are not in the 85%.  I am not the judge who will decide on others’ eternal fate, and I certainly could be wrong.  Nearly every one could be headed to heaven.  My feelings come about by seeing others’ fruit.  I am looking at statistics that say 6% of people in the church tithe.  And tithing does not save anyone, but tithing happens as a result of being saved.  Oswald Chambers says that a life of service to God is the way we say ‘thank you’ to Him for His generous gift of salvation.  People who have not received this generous gift of salvation do not see a need to spend their lives saying ‘thanks’ to Him.  And most people do not seem to be spending their lives thanking God with their gifts, possessions, and time.

On the other hand, there are occasions in my life when I am reminded that there are saved people reading my blogs and sitting in the pews of Wesley Chapel who feel bad enough about themselves and blogs and sermons on repentance can be taken in the wrong way.  Yesterday was a day that I was not proud of the way I reacted in a couple of situations.  I can blame it on a sciatica problem, and a lack of sleep because of it.  But mostly, it is just that I am still a work in progress and sometimes the “fleshly” part of me rears its ugly head.  Yet as hard as we can be on ourselves, God never feels that way about His children.  He understands when we are doing the best we can. If you are His child, He understands and is not critical of you when you fall short.  I think He does not mind when we give ourselves constructive criticism, but I know He does not want any child of His to beat themselves up.

• So if you are a preacher who beats him or her self up Sunday afternoon over your Sunday morning sermon (this happens more than the people in the pews would believe, this is why you never complain to your pastor about something on Sundays), take heart, God knows you are doing your best and He is OK with your effort.  Look up Child of God.
• If you are a parent who feels inadequate, lift your head.  People who have been through it know you have one of the most difficult jobs in the world and we all did the best we could.  God knows you are doing your best and He is OK with your effort.  Look up Child of God.
• If you are a teacher who counts the hours until the weekend, an employee who dreads going to work, a housewife who feels like you are in a rut, a single parent trying to be both mom and dad, if you are in search of a job, estranged from family, in financial distress, or any other of a myriad of situations, feelings, and problems, lift up your head.  God knows you are doing your best and He is OK with your effort.  Look up Child of God.

I hope you will take a few minutes to listen to Lauren Daigle’s “Look Up Child”:

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