Tag Archives: self righteousness

August 7, 2023 · 5:44 AM

Casting Your Burdens

Unfortunately one of the things that is part of our human nature is a desire to do things on your own. Don’t believe me? Try helping a two year old. They’ll snap back, “I can do it on my own!” They often refuse your help, sometimes to their detriment. That nature doesn’t really change. It lives in all of us. People offer us help all the time, but we refuse it under the guise of not wanting to be a burden to them. The truth is that we all need help from others, but we carry these burdens by ourselves and refuse help or to give them up. Some people like the pity and attention they receive. Some don’t know how to accept help. Some have too much pride to let anyone help. No matter why, you weren’t created to carry burdens by yourself.

The Pharisees in the New Testament were some of the most self righteous people you would meet, and Jesus called them out on it. He wasn’t mad at them for trying to follow the Law. He got upset at them for putting extra burdens on the people. He got upset when they added to His Law. He knew people had enough things they were carrying around and didn’t like people putting unnecessary burdens on people in His name. The Pharisees wore carrying burdens it as a badge of honor and holiness. They flaunted how big of burdens they carried and did it to get respect from people. Jesus constantly called them out for this because that’s not His plan for us.

1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]” (AMP). God has called us to humility, not self righteousness. Carrying our own burdens is not a sign of strength. We need to set aside our self righteous pride and cast our cares and burdens on Him. Yes, you can do it on your own, but why live like that when you don’t have to? Be humble enough to give them to Him. Be humble enough to ask others for help. Freedom begins with humbling yourself and casting them at the feet of Jesus.

Photo by Mukuko Studio on Unsplash

God’s Good Grace

I’m constantly reminded that it’s not how good I am, it’s how good God’s grace is. No matter how hard I try, I’m incapable of not sinning. Temptation shows up when I’m most vulnerable and begs me to indulge. Immediately guilt consumes me and tells me what a failure I am. When I say, “I’ll just seek God’s forgiveness,” it whispers back, “You just sinned. Do you think He’ll forgive you right now? You’re not really repentant.” The lies try to keep me from the grace God wants to give me. The sin wants to pile up until I feel like I’m not worthy. The goal is to get me to give up without a fight or to keep me trying to create my own righteousness until I give up.

This is a pattern so many of us face all the time. There’s a constant battle going on trying to make us think we can live a sinless life, resist all temptations and make God proud of us. When we lose it, we end up covered in guilt and shame. In Psalm 40:12, David described it by saying, “Evil surrounds me; problems greater than I can solve come one after another. Without you, I know I can’t make it. My sins are so many! I’m so ashamed to lift my face to you. For my guilt grabs me and stings my soul until I am weakened and spent” (TPT).

Can I just remind you that God loves you for who you are and not for who you’re trying to be? I’m not saying we shouldn’t seek help or find ways to break sin addictions in our lives. I’m saying God sent His son to die on the cross to pay for our sins while we were still sinners. He loves us in our imperfect state and makes His grace available to us without a waiting period. Isaiah 61:10 says, “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness” (NLT). Don’t let guilt consume you when you fail. Instead, ask God to clothe you in salvation and righteousness.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Stone In Hand

One of my biggest pet peeves while driving is people who cross the double white line to get into the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. Every time I see someone do it, I say, “Where is a cop when you need one?” Or I yell out, “That’s illegal! You’re breaking the law!” There is a place to get on and off of the HOV lane every few miles, and people who don’t do it right deserve tickets.

I tell you that because as I was stewing over it one day, I was reminded of the story in John 8. There was a woman caught breaking the law, and the religious police brought her to Jesus. They said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (NLT) He began drawing in the sand until they demanded an answer. Jesus finally answered them by saying, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” One by one they dropped their stones and walked away.

What I didn’t tell you about my story with people crossing the double white line was that I’m usually driving around 80 mph in a 65 zone. I’m just as guilty of breaking the law as they are and just as deserving of a ticket. However, I find it easy to justify my speeding by saying, “I’m just keeping up with traffic.” We’re all pretty good at justifying our own sins and throwing stones at people who sin differently than we do. These people had stones in their hands ready to throw. They were just waiting for Jesus to give them permission.

There’s been a lot of debate and speculation as to what Jesus drew in the sand that day. I like to think he wrote out the word, “Grace”. Each of them, like each of us, had needed God’s grace for something they had done that deserved the penalty of sin. It’s time we offered grace instead of stones to people who sin differently than we do. It’s easy to condemn, but Christlike to offer grace. Those double white lines on the freeway have become a self righteous check for me. I’m learning to drop the stones in my hands, and I hope that you are too.

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Tagged as being self righteous, bible, cast the first stone, Devotion, Devotional, giving grace, grace, he who is witnout sin, Jesus, needing grace, self righteousness, woman caught in adultery