Is it so common that we always criticize others not as good as ourselves? Is it funny that often
when we find a scoring system that grades us well, we use it to lift ourselves up and put others down. It seems to be an innate human tendency to cling to self-made standards in an attempt to justify ourselves.
Matthew 7:3-4) says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?”
Paul warned the Philippians about doing such things. Some were putting their confidence in religious performance or cultural conformity. (Philippians 3:4) “Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more.” Yet Paul considered himself, (Philippians 3:8) “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ.”
Boasting is bad, but a boast based on false confidence is tragic. The gospel calls us away from misplaced confidence and into communion with a Savior who loves us and gave Himself for us. Only Jesus loves us as we are, rescues us, and gives us the power to become more like Him. No earning required and no scorekeeping.
Dear Jesus, thank You for Your love for me. Let me set aside the scorecards of self-justification. Those are misguided grounds of confidence.
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