Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
The other day I was walking through the house when I decided to take a peek into one of my son's rooms. Yea. Mistake.
I mean really. Ritz crackers do have expiration dates and socks do belong in drawers.
So when he came home I told him no electronics until his room was clean. (No electronics means no T.V, iPad, computer, Xbox, playstation, Apple TV, iPhone, Gameboy or anything that involves a battery. It's sorta like the nuclear bomb when it comes to parental discipline.)
"Bbbbuuuutttt Dddddaaaaadddd!" he started. "It's not THAT bad."
(Which means in boy talk, "I could probably get another two days out of those socks.")
Nope. I put my big daddy foot down.
He walked off toward his room with his head down in defeat when suddenly he stopped, brightened up and came running back.
"My room isn't nearly as bad as his," he said, referring to his brother. "I mean just look at it. You can't even walk."
I told him very calmly that we weren't talking about his brother's room but his room.
He kept on and it occurred to me that he was trying to get out of cleaning his room by comparing it with an even worse room. So I told him to follow me into mine.
Have I mentioned I'm a tad bit OCD? I mean not like crazy, but everything in my mind has a proper place and everything should be in the place it was meant to be.
I showed him my sock drawer. "See how they're all stacked in there nice and neat."
We moved on to the bed. "See how it's uh, what's the word? Oh yeah. Made?"
Then the floor. "See how we don't have to play hop scotch just to walk in it?"
"But dad," he whined. "You can't compare your room to mine."
Wait a second. Wasn't he just comparing his room to his brother's?
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because your room is never messy!" he said.
Isn't it funny how we sometime compare our lives to others like my son was comparing rooms. Surely God must look at us more favorably because our lives are just a bit messy and not completely messed up like Johnny's down the street. When we start to compare ourselves with others we need to understand that there is never just a little bit of sin. All sins are the same in God's eyes.
And when it comes to Grace, there is no comparison.
Let us pray.
Glorious God, Guide us by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light. Send out your light and your truth and let them lead us, through Jesus Christ, your Son, in whom we pray. Amen.
PASTOR TROY CONRAD IS MINISTER OF THE FARMINGTON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
Religion on 04/23/2014