365 Days with God - Day 63: Guiding the Blind

I'm giving myself a challenge. Read the Bible each day for a whole year, following the ESV Study Guide 1-year plan. Each day, I will post whatever God has revealed to me in His Word, and how it is changing me. A friend of mine once said that nothing has changed her life as much as reading the bible each day - and I'm excited for how this will change me. Join me on an adventure into the heart of God - and day by day, we can learn more about who He is and what that means to us!

- Andy Catts

Day 63, February 21, 2014

Readings: Psalm 63, Exodus 7:14-25, Exodus 8:1-19, 2 Chronicles 35:20-27, Romans 2:17-19, Romans 3:1-8

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth- you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." (Romans 2:17-24)

It's awfully difficult to be perfect. In fact, it's so difficult that only one person in the history of the world has ever done it.

This makes it awfully difficult to take a "moral high ground." There isn't any, unless you're perfect. In other areas, it's easier to defer to one who has more expertise - like my doctor. I'm pretty sure they know more about medicine than I do. But when it comes to who has moral authority...well, we're all screwed up. We all make mistakes (many of them.) So is there anything that gives us a right to judge?

I think Paul makes it pretty clear that there isn't. In fact, when I choose to judge others for their behavior (essentially, being a hypocrite), the name of God is blasphemed because of me! I have seen this countless times - God is seen as judgmental, focused on the rules, loves silly rituals, and doesn't care about human suffering. Why? Because his "followers" are those things. Those who claim to know Him cause more damage to His name than anything He's ever done that people don't like.

So what's left? First, accepting the fact that we are sinners - and the only thing we have to boast in is Jesus. We'd be dirty rags without Him. We'd have nothing to stand on, nothing to be proud of. The rest follows suit - if we can't be proud, then we can be humble. We can be loving. We can be accepting, understanding, open and honest. And then we will have an opportunity to share the truth. The truth of what God has done in our lives, and what he wants to do for others. We have to remove ourselves from the solution - because we're the problem!