{Lessons Learned} Be Gracious or Forgiveness Flows Out of a Changed Heart – Part 2

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Early on in my walk with God, I was told that the Bible says that we’re sinners. Logically then, I thought, this would infer that I sin. It was a novel concept to me. Really, it was.

Up to this point, I never really thought about sin, and I certainly never thought I was a sinner or that I needed anything, let alone the help of a supposed God that could very well be the figment of someone’s imagination.

Truly, I was blind to the ways of God.

One day, after attending church for several weeks, however, I prayed. God, I said feeling a bit foolish, if I have any sins, show me. And boy did He deliver! I went from self-loving and self-idolizing (even though I was in a very bad place at the time) to self-loathing in no time at all.

Once stripped of all deception, I began to see who I truly was. And let me tell you, it was ugly.

But as I mentioned in Part 1, God doesn’t show us our sinful nature to beat us down, but instead, showing us our sins is intended to drive us into the arms of Jesus. Our sins show us our failures. They show us that we cannot do any good on our own. Truly, they show us our need.

No. We are not to loath ourselves as a result of our sin. But our sin should drive us back to where we were intended to be all along––in close communion with Father.

God choses undeserving sinners, washes them, and gives them new life. This is the grace of God.

Grace is a beautiful thing. [Tweet that]

But once we receive grace, we need to extend it to those around us.

When we understand that we are who we are by the grace of God alone, it should help us to see others through that same lens. We’re all prone to sin. We’re all prone to folly. And once we recognize this truth, it should compel us to live graceously with others and to forgive them.

You see, if we are around one another long enough we will hurt each other. We will sin against one another. We will fail one another. And while none of this is okay or justifiable, we need to have more grace with each other and forgive as we have been forgiven. [Tweet that]

As I have written extensively about before, there came a point as I was being led toward forgiving Anthony, the man who murdered my dad, that God clearly told me Laurie, you are no better than Anthony. And while it was difficult to hear, it is true. I am no better than any other. And I thought, who am I to withhold grace and forgiveness from another when Jesus so freely gave them to me? [Tweet that]

Truth is, we are all in need of grace. Let us all bring a bit more grace into our relationships today.

{Be gracious and forgive.}

Question: Who do you have a difficult time being gracious to? Why? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Forgiveness Flows Out of a Changed Heart – Part 1

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Forgiveness––true Biblical forgiveness––requires that we have encountered and experienced the risen God. [Tweet that] It requires a changed heart.

Truly, prior to forgiving one another, we need to understand and receive the forgiveness of God. For, we cannot give something we have yet to receive, and we cannot receive apart from understanding. [Tweet that]

As I’m sure you know, the term Gospel––which refers to the work of Christ––literally means “good news.” I’ve heard many pastors say that in order for there to be good news something bad would have to be true. And until we understand the bad news, we cannot fully grasp how good the good news is. [Tweet that]

This is why we all must come to understand who we are apart from Jesus. We need to understand just how sinful we are so that the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf––and consequently, the forgiveness He made possible––can be understood not only in our minds but in our hearts as well.

It is only when head knowledge moves to our hearts that we can fully live out of God’s truth. But until we experience this heart change, our efforts to live out the Christian life will remain frustrated. We will be unable to effectively carry out the commands of the Bible.

It is possible for us to know God’s truth––to know that Jesus died to reconcile us to God the Father. To know that Jesus forgives us through His sacrifice on the cross. To know that we are loved. To know that we are saved, and that we are forgiven. But we will never live the life God has for us until this knowledge moves to our heart and transforms us.

Remember, we must understand the bad news in order to fully grasp just how good the good news is.

And the bad news is very bad indeed. Scripture tells us that apart from Jesus, we were dead in our sin. Scripture paints a very real picture of our state outside of Christ. God uses words like dead (Ephesians 2:1), sinner (James 4:8), wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, naked (Revelation 3:17), enemies of God (Romans 5:10), having no hope and without God (Ephesians 2:12) to describe our pre-salvation state.

Believe this about yourself.

But don’t stay there. The moment you gave your life to Jesus you were made new. All that was true of who we were apart from Jesus was made void. God now uses words like new (2 Corinthians 5:17), chosen (1 Peter 2:4), saved (Ephesians 2:4), son or daughter (Romans 8:15), saints (Ephesians 2:19), beloved (Romans 9:25), and righteous (Romans 5:19) to describe those who love Him.

Still, allow your understanding of the depths of your wretchedness apart from Jesus to compel you to run into the arms of Jesus, filled with thanksgiving, love, and adoration, knowing what He has saved you from.

Never forget where Jesus found you. [Tweet that] As Martin Luther said, “Remember your baptism.”

And then from there. Pray for His grace and your relationship with Him to transform your heart and your mind. Then and only then will you be able to live out of your new nature, your new self, and extend grace and mercy to those around you.

Your ability to forgive others comes from your changed heart.

{Allow Jesus to show you the bad news in order that you might be able to experience all the joy and blessings the Gospel has to offer!}

Question: What are your thoughts? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

Romans 8:28 Rings True

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Last Thursday began like most days. Toward the end of my quiet time with Jesus, my girls came into my bedroom in all their morning cuteness, blurry-eyed and hair a fright. We cuddled together for a moment before beginning our morning routine of showering, dressing, and the like.

My girls usually finish getting ready before I do, so they ran downstairs, busying themselves with coloring and drawing in the kitchen. Moments later, however, I heard Avery, my younger daughter, yell, “Mom, Ella poked me with a pencil!”

To which Ella replied, “But it wasn’t very hard!”

Really?!? I thought. It was all going so well.

Turns out, Ella intentionally “poked” or stabbed (to be more exact) Avery with a pencil. Not okay in my book. But after disciplining Ella, we had a serious talk about hurting others.

Ella is seven. Up to this point, we have taught her about Jesus, we’ve talked about Jesus being her Savior, but I never asked them to pray the prayer for salvation.

I didn’t want this prayer to be something forced or something they just did because they’re told it’s what they’re supposed to do. I wanted it to be authentic. From their heart. I wanted them to desire Jesus and realize they can’t do this thing called life without Him!

This would not happen through any effort of my own. This would not happen by me leading them to say a prayer asking Jesus into their heart before they had the desire. What children need––what we all need––is the grace of God.

Salvation comes by grace through faith!

It is a gift from God. And it cannot be manipulated into being.

Ella and I talked about hurting others. We talked about the condition of her heart. We talked about our need for Jesus. And I can honestly say that for the first time, she was broken over her sin, and she realized she needed Jesus.

“Have you ever prayed for Jesus to save you?” I asked.

“No,” she said, tears streaming down her face.

“Do you want Jesus in your heart? Do you want Him to save you?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation.

We talked extensively about what that meant and about who she knew Jesus to be.

“But I want you to say the prayer,” she told me.

“No honey. Mommy can’t do that,” I said. “I pray for you all the time, but this is a prayer you need to pray.” I told her that her relationship with Jesus is something that is her own. It’s something she needs to cultivate. No one else could do it for her.

“But I don’t know what to say.”

Facing one another, we held hands and began to pray, both of us crying like babies. With genuine sincerity, my little Ella prayed a “repeat after me” prayer for Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

What began with her committing a sin against her sister ended with her brokenness and her salvation, and I praise Jesus for His grace.

“You’re way ahead of me,” I told Ella with a smile. “I wasn’t saved until I was 29!”

“Whoa,” she said, bright-eyed.

Thank God for grace.

Since then, I’ve been thinking. My dad was saved only months before his death by Jesus through the very events that led to his murder (more on this later). I was saved as a direct result of the effects of my dad’s death. And now, my daughter has been saved as a result of my salvation.

Romans 8:28 rings true.

{Jesus is our Redeemer.}

Question: How have you seen Romans 8:28 played out in your life? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Forgiveness Requires Humility

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2

Two options were set before me when called to forgive Anthony (the man who murdered my dad):

I could either choose to remain prideful––failing to see error in my perspective––or I could choose to humble myself before God and recognize that my “truth” was not God’s truth.

Truth is, forgiveness requires humility. [Tweet that]

It requires us to recognize that we may have some culpability in the situation or, at the very least, that we’re not seeing as we ought. We need to recognize that not all of what we believe to be the truth is ultimately God’s truth.

When forgiving another of a sin committed against us, we must take a moment to examine ourselves as well. We need to understand that our perspective may be askew. We need to ask ourselves some very important questions.

How might we be wrong in how we’re looking at the situation?

How might our actions have contributed to the situation (in some cases)?

What biases are we be bringing into our perspective?

The proud never admit they may be wrong or their perspective may be biased or just plain wrong. The humble, on the other hand, seek to see as Jesus does even if that means they find fault in themselves.

{Forgiveness requires humility.}

Questions: Have you considered the possibility that your truth may not be true? How might we be able to shed our biases? How do you think we might be able to come closer to God’s truth? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Watch Yourself or Can a Christian Commit Murder?

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children. – Deuteronomy 4:9

Anthony claimed he was a Christian at the time of the murder, and I had a real problem with this. As a non-Christian and even after coming to Christ, I didn’t understand how someone who professed faith in Jesus could do something like this. Doesn’t a sin of this magnitude disqualify you from being a Christian?

You can’t claim to be a Christian and commit murder, I thought.

Recently, however, when telling me about a book he was reading by Kyle Idleman called Not a Fan, Anthony said,

“I wonder, had I not come to prison would I have stayed a fan of Jesus or become a follower? I knew Him. I went to Bible studies. I read my Bible daily, but I didn’t let him into every dark corner of my heart. I was not a follower. Now, I truly follow Him. But this book is an eye-opener.”

Anthony went to church faithfully before he committed the murder. As he said, he went to Bible studies. He read his Bible daily. He knew Jesus.

When I began to correspond with Anthony, I met with my pastor and asked him, “Is it possible for a Christian to commit murder?”

My pastor’s response? Absolutely. It is possible.

I wrestled with this issue for quite some time, but ultimately I saw that my pastor was right. One profound example of this can be found in the story of David. David was chosen, used mightily, and was called a man after God’s own heart both before and after he had Bathsheba’s husband killed. David was in a covenantal relationship with God––the equivalent of being a Christ follower today––yet he sinned greatly.

Now, I don’t know whether or not Anthony’s relationship with Jesus was authentic when he killed my dad, but it could have been. And honestly, this truth scares me, as it should all of us.

We must guard our hearts.

You see, we’re all prone to folly. We’re all prone to sin. And sin can creep in before we know it.

In one of my letters to Anthony, I said, “…you still cultivated the emotions and feeling that lead you astray. You still allowed your soul to be poisoned with hatred which ultimately lead to your actions.”

In response, Anthony said:

I may have cultivated the emotions that led me to be poisoned. But not hate, anger yes but I didn’t hate your dad. I did not go over to your dads house to kill him, to threaten and scare, yes. But having that anger in my heart opened me up to the possibility of something bad and as we know bad happened. – Anthony, November 2010

All throughout the book of Deuteronomy, God tells us to watch ourselves. Over and over again He says, “Take care, lest your heart be deceived” (Deuteronomy 11:16), “Take care lest you forget the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:11), “Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:23).

1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Paul exhorts Timothy to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Considering Anthony’s testimony and reading through each of these scriptures, this much is clear: we must guard our hearts to assure we don’t cultivate an environment for sin to grow. For, we can be led astray quickly.

{Guard your heart. Don’t allow sin to creep in.} [tweet that]

Question: What are your thoughts? How do you guard your heart or keep watch on yourself? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Repentance} Wanna Be Empowered Today?

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

I’ve been talking a lot about repentance, and I know it can become a weighty topic, to say the least. But I feel like God has empowered me in this area recently, and I just have to pass this along.

I’ve been feeling convicted lately about several sins in my life. And maybe it’s just me, but do you ever feel like you need to repent but you need to wait for the empowerment of God to do so? [Tweet that]

Well, this is where I found myself last week.

During my quiet time with God, I decided to begin reading Romans. I opened it up, read the first paragraph, and that was just about enough for the day. I needed to digest what I read, so I read it again. And again.

Toward the end of that paragraph, Paul says, “through [Jesus] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name…” (Romans 1:5).

We received grace to bring about the obedience of faith. We received grace. Past tense. It’s a done deal.

I love what the ESV Study Bible footnote says. It says, “Obedience is required, but it is an obedience that flows from saving faith and is always connected to ongoing faith” (emphasis mine).

We Are Empowered

Here’s the thing: The moment we are saved. The moment we bow our knee to Jesus, accepting Him to be Lord of our lives and Savior of our souls, we were given the gift of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:8).

The Spirit is power. He is all the power we need to live out this Christian life. [Tweet that]

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”

Romans 8:11 tells us that “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

We have been given life. We have been set free from sin and death through Jesus. And we are now free to live a life of power through the Holy Spirit.

So, why do we, at times, feel so impotent to live out godly lives? What takes the wind out of our sails? [Tweet that]

Deception.

Truth tells us we have the power of the Holy Spirit to live out our faith.

Satan tells us we have no power within us or we need to wait for empowerment.

There are times we need to wait on the Lord for sure, but we never need to wait to repent. We never need to wait to feel empowered to do that which we are called to do. But instead, remember that we are empowered to follow Jesus.

So, here’s the bottom line: You don’t need to wait for the ability to live out your Christian life, you already have the power within. Now live like you believe it.

{The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. Believe and live in light of this truth.}

Question: Do you ever feel like you need to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Consequences: We Reap What We Sow

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

I have had to take responsibly, have been humbled by the selfishness of what I did and have to live with the consequences every day. – Anthony (January 3, 2011)

Sin wrecks havoc on our lives.

Ultimately, every sin has a consequence. And since we don’t live completely unto ourselves, there’s a ripple effect produced by our sin that cannot be retracted. [Tweet that] Every action has a reaction, and this is true with sin as well.

Even when we do finally receive grace to come before God and receive His mercy and forgiveness, the effects of our sin remain while living in this fallen world.

Now, I’m not saying God doesn’t redeem our sin and ultimately use it for good and for His glory; He does (see Romans 2:28). And when forgiven by God, He remembers our sins no longer. We are washed clean and will not suffer consequence after death. But in this life, we feel the effects of sin.

If we don’t take care of the body we were given, we may be forgiven, but our health may suffer and may never fully recover.

If we choose to divorce our spouse (though I recognize there are Biblical grounds to do so), we may be forgiven, but it will forever impact our life, our children, our family, and our friends.

And in Anthony’s case, who committed murder, he is forgiven, yet he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars. The effect of his actions will remain with him until he takes his last breath here on Earth.

You Reap What You Sow

In Galatians 6:7, Paul said, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

Take a look at the life of David.

David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he was still an imperfect man who sinned greatly. When he committed adultery and had the woman’s husband murdered in battle, God was not pleased.

Ultimately, David repented and turned back to God, yet God still enacted consequences that David had to face. David’s son, conceived through his adulterous affair, died, and from that point on, David faced tremendous turmoil within his family.

David certainly reaped what he sowed.

Paul goes on to say, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8).

Let us sow good seeds throughout our lives, seeds that yield godliness and righteousness. [Tweet that] And when we do sin, let us repent quickly, turning back to the only one who can help us live victoriously in our fallen flesh.

{Though we may be forgiven, consequences remain.}

Question: What are your thoughts? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

How Jesus is the Fulfillment of God’s Love

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

No doubt about it. We are loved.

Truly loved, despite all our shortcomings.

The Feinberg Challenge

Over the last 40 days of Lent, leading up to Easter, I joined Margaret Feinberg (along with thousands of other Christ followers), in her 40-Day Bible Reading Challenge. Together we read through the Bible. Yep. The whole thing.

Honestly, it was crazy, but it was amazing at the same time! Beginning in Genesis and ending with Revelation, we read an average of 30 chapters a day (though I’m a day behind, so I’ll be finishing up today).

When first presented with all this craziness, I was intrigued, but I didn’t think I could do it. After all, I have children who need their mommy and a husband who needs his wife, but God made it happen. Day in and day out, I was given the time needed to soak in the truth of God’s word.

And when God’s truth continually washes over you, something begins to sirs within your soul. [Tweet that] God works. He teaches. He shows you things you’ve been missing all along or have forgotten amidst the busyness of life.

Throughout this time, there were days I was moved to tears as I read (well, ok, I actually cried most days). The more I read, the more the love and faithfulness of our mighty God was impressed upon my heart.

I just love how Sally Lloyd-Jones describes the love of God in The Jesus Storybook Bible for kids. She says God loves us “with a Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” Isn’t that an amazing description?

And it was this love that become so real to me during my reading.

God’s Story

The whole of the Bible tells the story of God. It tells of a people––made to love and be loved by God––who rebelled against their loving Father, bringing sin into the world. From this moment on, God sought to bring His people back to Himself once again, saying I will be your God and you shall be my people.

Truly, the Bible shows love affair between God and His people in which He faithfully pursues the hearts of man. [Tweet that]

Still, God’s people rebelled. They rebelled over and over and over again. Yet, God never forsook them though He had every right to do so. But instead, God chose to love them, despite rebellion and sin.

The Climax

God’s plan ultimately culminated with Jesus.

Jesus was God’s love displayed in flesh. He was the way. The way back to God. As said before, God could have left us in our sinful state of hopelessness. But instead, He provided a way back to Himself. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

For 33 years, Love walked the Earth.

Love healed wounds.

Love set free the captives.

Love showed us the way as He called and said, “Follow Me.”

And Love was nailed to a cross on Calvary.

But ultimately, Love rose again, bringing us new life.

This is what Easter is all about. The love of God, who is faithful to provide new beginnings. [Tweet that] It’s like we get a mulligan. A do-over. What was behind has passed. And all that is required of us is to receive the free gift of salvation. To receive Christ. [Tweet that]

Jesus holds out His hand, offering us mercy, grace, salvation, love, hope, peace, and so much more.

Reach out and take hold of the promises of God. Receive His Love.

Happy Easter!

{Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s love. Receive Him.}

Question: How have you been blessed by the Word of God? How has the story of God impacted your life? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Repentance Can Be a Process

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. – Martin Luther, The 95 Theses

In one of my letters to Anthony, I wrote, “I simply believe that we all need to take full responsibility for our actions and blame-shifting isn’t representative of that! Until we come to this point of taking full responsibility for our actions, I don’t believe we can come to a place of true repentance.”

I still believe this to be true. But I now know that repentance can take time.

Though God is certainly able to bring us to repentance quickly, it seems to me that repentance is, oftentimes, a process. [Tweet that] This was certainly the case with Anthony, and I’ve found this to be true both in my life and in the lives of other Christians as well.

Repentance

Now, I think it’s important to understand repentance before we go much farther. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word repent means 1. to change one’s mind or 2. to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.

That definition certainly sums it up, but it seems weighty to me and difficult to apply to our lives. Couple Strong’s Concordance’s definition with the way my pastor likes to put it. He describes repentance like this:

You’re walking in sin, away from God.
You’re convicted of your sin by the Holy Spirit.
And then you repent, or take a 180 degree turn, away from your sin, toward Jesus.

This is repentance.

Repentance Can Be a Process

As said before, repentance can happen quickly. But sometimes it takes time to get through the process.

Sometimes when the Holy Spirit shows us our sin, we’re not ready or willing to face it. We justify ourselves, claiming we’re not completely in the wrong or not wrong at all. Essentially, we’re not willing to see our sin.

Yet, hopefully, at some point, we come to a point of conviction. We see our fault. We stop justifying our sin. But, it can take a while to come to this place, to understand the depth of our sin.

In a perfect world, with perfect people, we would turn from our sins quickly (and I certainly pray we do this). But in all reality, there are times God patiently and slowly draws us back to Himself through a process that leads us to repent. [Tweet that]

Don’t Delay Repenting

So, it is true. Repentance can be a process. But, this does not give us license to delay repenting. It is imperative to repent when shown our sin, for sin separates us from God and an unrepentant sinner will never live the life Jesus died for us to have.

I love what Martin Luther says in the first of his 95 theses. He said, “When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

The fact of the matter is that we will never be perfect in this life. We will sin. But the mark of a true follower of Christ is repentance. [Tweet that] When we sin, we repent. It’s a rhythm that should course throughout our lives.

We sin. We repent.

So, I would like to encourage each of us (myself included) to submit to Jesus and come to repentance quickly when convicted of our sin.

I’ll leave you with the parable of the two sons. Notice in this passage the sin of each son. And see repentance in action.

[Jesus said] “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. – Matthew 21:28-32

{Repentance can be a process.}

Question: What has your experience been with repentance? Share in the comments.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.

{Lessons Learned} Why We Need to Stop Comparing Ourselves to Each Other

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Laurie Coombs

Jesus said to him, “…what is that to you? You follow me!” – John 21:22

We cannot accurately judge our sins or behaviors by comparing ourselves to others. [Tweet that] And when we do so, our assessment of ourselves, our sins, and the consequence of those sins will, most assuredly, be skewed.

I addressed this issue with Anthony as we were working toward forgiveness. I wrote,

…one more thought that I have has to do with comparing ourselves to others. I think this is dangerous, yet I believe we all do it to a certain extent….

…we, as Christians, are not to judge ourselves based upon those around us. Many of us look around and consciously or unconsciously compare ourselves to others in the world. We look around and see that there are people out there who have done x or committed y, then we look to ourselves and say, “well, I haven’t done that, so I’m a pretty good person.”

Yet, the Bible teaches us that none are good. That we have all turned away from God, and were, at one time, enemies of God–our creator. We are reminded to be in the world, but not of the world. That we are different, and that we not think more highly of ourselves or our actions than we ought.

When comparing your sentence in relationship to your crime to that of those around you, what you’re essentially saying is that God isn’t in control of your situation; that He didn’t oversee your sentence. That because you had a “reason” [for murdering my dad] it’s somehow better than not having a reason. That you deserve less time because my dad got you really mad?!? As if that’s justification.

While Anthony disagreed with my assessment regarding God ordaining his sentence, he did write back and say, “You were right though in saying we Christians are held to a higher standard and I am wrong to compare my sentence to others.”

The standard we are to meet is God’s standard, not one that is arbitrarily orchestrated in our favor. [Tweet that] And God’s standard requires perfection, which is obviously unattainable and is the reason we need Jesus to save us.

Comparison

Comparison is folly. Pure and simple. [Tweet that]

Comparison says I sin, but at least I don’t sin like you. (Or I am the worst sinner there is, far greater than you.)

Comparison says I deserve more than you. (Or I am a worm who deserves nothing compared to you.)

Comparison says I am better than you. (Or you are better than me.)

Yet, the fact of the matter is that no one is better than any another. As said before, we all equally stand in need of grace and mercy. [Tweet that]

{We cannot accurately judge our sins or behaviors by comparing ourselves to others.}

Question: Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others? Share in the comments.

To leave a comment, click on the link above. This will take you to the post where you can leave your comment at the bottom.

To read more about my journey toward forgiveness, read Freedom Through Grace or {Redemption} Your Testimony May Have Saved a Life.