In my quest for a deeper relationship with Christ, I often find myself striving to check off things as if just doing them will bring me extra favor with God.
Daily Bible reading ... check.
Prayed for others ... check.
Thanked God for something ... check.
Prayed before my meals ... check.
Read a Bible story with the kids ... check.
Listened to Christian music ... check.
I find that often I am judgemental of others, comparing my own checklist to their checklist. If I sense that the other person has more items checked, then I begin to scramble to figure out how I can add more to my own checklist of things to do. After all, the more I do, the more God loves me ... right? And if others aren't meeting up to my standards (because, after all, it is my attitudes and standards that I'm so diligently enforcing), then they can't possibly be as good as me. :(
Truly, this attitude of mine is such a backwards way of looking at things! It makes me sad to realize that so often I treat God this way. How can I possibly win His favor? I don't deserve it ... never have and never will. Amazingly, God simply chooses to bestow His lavish mercy upon me.
Lord, break my heart. Mold me to your ways. Please ... help me to change my pharisee attitudes and give me a heart that mirrors You so that when others look at me they are looking at You. Amen.
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