Justification: Right in My Eyes or His?

 By: Lauren Thomas 

Do these statements sound familiar? “I can buy this because I returned some items recently.” “I will eat this piece of cake because I ate healthy all day.” “I won’t invite her because she hasn’t treated me considerately lately.” One commonality runs through all these statements: justification.

 

We tend to justify poor choices to ease our guilty conscience. We tell ourselves what we want to hear in order to give ourselves permission to do something we know we should not do. When I think about self-justification, I remember 1 Kings 22, in which King Ahab gathered about 400 lying prophets who all told him what he wanted to hear. When we can’t internally justify our behavior, sometimes we surround ourselves with people who will.

 

To justify is to prove that something is right or appropriate. Another definition of justify is to make something straight. To justify is to take crooked actions or thoughts, and lie to ourselves, or others, until those actions look straight, right.

 

A big problem with self-justifying our behaviors is that our definition of “straight” is crooked. We bend and twist things until they look straight to us, but in God’s sight, our best efforts at good are like filthy rags, according to Isaiah 64:6.

 

Thankfully, there is a way to be made straight. But it will turn our definitions of straight upside down. Justification as a theological term, refers to God counting our faith as righteousness, as a gift. This justification makes us right with God through Jesus Christ.

 

 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:16 ESV

 

This should be the only kind of justification we are interested in. It removes all of our excuses. It shows us God’s righteousness is very different from our imagined goodness. But the craziest part of this justification is that it doesn’t come through our efforts at being good or our attempts to make ourselves look good; this justification comes through faith in the righteousness and goodness and glory of Jesus. To receive this justification, all we need to do is put our faith in Jesus, the son of God, who lived righteous, died sinless, and rose to life to give that righteousness to us. Amen!

 

Reflection:

Read 1 Kings 22:1-40 to learn about King Ahab’s self-justification and how that turned out for him.

What kinds of behaviors have you found yourself justifying?

How is justification through faith different from self-justifying?

Honesty VS Transparency

By: Jenifer Metzger

The one who conceals his sins

will not prosper, but whoever

confesses and renounces them

will find mercy.

Proverbs 28:13 CSB

We know the value of honesty. As Christian women we know honesty is important. As wives and mothers, we want honesty from our spouse and children. We want honesty from our jobs, doctors, politicians, from everywhere. Honesty matters.

But is honesty alone enough?

Let's say your husband tells you that he is having a dinner meeting with a coworker. He's being honest. However, he did not tell you the coworker is a female. He isn't being transparent.

Or he tells you an old friend texted him today. He's being honest. However, he doesn't tell you the old friend is a female. He isn't being transparent.

You ask your teenager if he pulled the meat out of the freezer for dinner. He says he did and he is being honest. Yet, he didn't tell you he only just now pulled the meat out instead of when you asked him this morning. He isn't being transparent.

You ask your child if school was okay and she says it was. She's being honest. But she failed to mention she got into trouble on the playground. She isn't being transparent.

In all of these situations, the person was being honest. They answered the question honestly or brought forth the information honestly. However, they were not transparent. They didn't offer a full disclosure. Unless you ask a very specific, detailed question, you wouldn't get a completely honest answer.

While honesty matters, it isn't always enough. Honest tells the truth to the question asked. Transparency gives honesty while also building trust and accountability.

While transparency isn't always easy, it is always right. The more transparent we are, the more trust we build. The Bible tells us that our sin will catch up with us. I always told my kids that no matter what it is, I will eventually find out anyway, so just be upfront with me.

But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin

against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.

Numbers 32:23 CSB

Let's be women who are transparent and encourage transparency in others.

Discussion:
1. Do you see the difference in honesty and transparency now?
2. Can you think of a time you were honest but not transparent? Or a time someone was honest but not transparent with you?

The True Solution to Life's Problems

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

"The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect." ~James 5:16b

Charles Stanley once said, "We must remember that the shortest distance between our problems and their solutions is the distance between our knees and the floor."

It's true! The solution to your problems does not ultimately depend on you.

It’s not about washing your face, girl.

The answer is not found in pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

The solution to your problems is not found in you taking control of your life and making your dreams come true.

The answer is not you being enough on your own.

The key is not you being all things to all people.

The fix is not for you to be a Jr. Holy Spirit or to have a Messiah complex.

The ultimate solution to life’s problems is not ultimately found in self.

It’s not ultimately found in trying harder, meeting goals, or saving the day.

The true solution to life’s problems is found in the Savior and His work in our lives. The prayer of the righteous is what makes a difference - our God moves and works through the prayers of His people.

That is where change lies - in humbling ourselves before God and admitting we don’t have it all together, never will, and need Him.

That, friends, is the power of prayer. 

And that is precisely what we need to all remember right in times like these. 

Reflection Questions:

1. What troubles are you facing right now? Who or what have you been relying on as a solution to them?

2. How would you rate the condition of your prayer life lately? What is hindering you from being in prayer more than you are?

3. How can you make time to dedicate more time, attention, and energy to prayer?

Presence, Protection & Provision

 By: Joanne Viola

The Gospels provide narrative of the days and experiences which the disciples encountered as they spent time with Jesus.

In John, we are told of the time Peter went fishing with some of the other disciples. Jesus was on the beach and saw they had not caught any fish. He tells them to throw their net on the other side of the boat and they will catch fish.

The story found in John 21 seems to grab our attention due to the large haul of fish which was then in their nets.

But recently my attention was brought to see something else.

“So when they got out on the land, 
they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread.” 
(John 21:9. NASB)

“Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” (verse 12, NASB) 

Jesus extends an invitation to the disciples to make His Presence known to them. They were going to come to see there is no place they can go that He will not be there. They would learn there is no need which He cannot meet.

Scripture reminds us of His Presence, protection, and provision in several places:

• “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8, NASB)
• “You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:5, NASB) 
• “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.” (Isaiah 45:2, NASB)
• “You will not leave in a hurry, running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you; yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.” (Isaiah 52:12, NLT)
• “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NASB) 

That day, Jesus had gone on ahead before the disciples. He was already waiting for them and had food for them to eat. And He goes before us as well.

His Presence.
His Protection.
His Provision.

 

Reflection: 
At times, we can struggle to remember these promises which God offers us. Which of these will you be holding onto today?

 

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay 

 

 

 

My Perceptions and God's Greatness

 By: Lauren Thomas 

If you’ve spent any time around children, you’ll have witnessed their amusing perceptions of their world. For instance, in the car with my 2-year-old recently, he pointed out a river and exclaimed, “lake, lake!” Next, he pointed to a small rocky hill and shouted, “mountain!” Another example occurred over the Independence Day holiday, when my daughter expressed concern that the fireworks would harm airplanes flying overhead. What amused me about all these statements was my children’s perceptions and the smallness of those perceptions. Children see the world differently because, developmentally, their understanding is naturally limited. It can be highly amusing!

However, after considering these statements, I was struck by the parallels between a child’s limited understanding of the world, and my limited grasp of the bigness of God. Like a child, my understanding is limited. I am finite. God is infinite. I am the created thing. He is the Creator. I know little. He knows everything.

 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV

 

I see what is in front of me. He sees everything.

 

²³ “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? ²⁴ Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV

 

My abilities and capabilities and capacity are small. But He can do all things, and nothing is too hard for him.

 

“I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Job 42:2 ESV

 

‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 32:17 ESV

 

I will never fully grasp all the ways God is bigger, better, greater than anything I could understand or imagine. But like a child, I can fill myself with awe and wonder at the thought of Him. I will worship the God I cannot fully comprehend, for He is worthy of all glory.

 

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV

 

Reflection:

In what ways is God bigger, better, greater, than you?

What other attributes of God can you think of? How do those attributes compare to you?

How can you allow wonder and awe to fill you today in a way that moves you to worship?