Muddy Shoes

Dried mud everywhere! Where did it come from? I had a good laugh on myself this morning when I realized the dried mud trail came from my own running shoes.

Have you ever had days, or even a season of life, when you just love others and give in the name of Christ and "no one seems to be getting it"? It seems like everyone is living under a cloud; you ask yourself "humbly," in similar words, "What's wrong with everyone? Why doesn't my Christian family live like they believe in Christ"? Or "What's wrong with the world; yesterday was so much better, today everyone is doing so much wrong"!

I have. I then realize the common denominator is me; I'm the one taking the gloomy cloud everywhere I go. In fact, after reflecting on these situations I realized an awful truth. Many of the people with whom I doled out my gloomy wisdom had probably been more joyful before I showed up.

James 4:6 has been in my mind lately, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

Pride is like a muddy shoe sole; the top of the shoe looks great, but underneath lies the potential to dirty up a well-kept floor. I too can look great on the outside, but in a wrong frame of mind, unchecked and unhindered in action, can leave ugliness in my trail. The Scriptures say that God resists the proud; He cannot bless us when we are "blessing ourselves" at His expense.

But there is more grace for us when we admit our need for God; when we need cleaning up and cannot do it on our own. When we leave a trail of ugliness, sorrow and blackness in our wake but wake up to God's unending promises of forgiveness and renewal. He accepts our confession and repentance, showing us great mercy when we deserve the judgment we've wrongly given out (Mathew 7:1-2, Isaiah 30:18, Lamentations 3:22-25).

Thanks to our great God, we have forgivess according to His Word, instead of according to emotions or intelligence. No, it's because He says so. Psalm 103:11-12 beautifully washes my soul when my eyes have been opened to my sin, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."

I believe, help my unbelief.