RUBBLE

Romans 14:1-8
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. . . . 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

The statues circle me like a solid wall.
They're polished white marble.
How they contrast with the world.

Erecting the right statues is exhausting work.
You must discard many, many things that aren't acceptable.
All day long, you must be so careful not to pick up any of the forbidden things.
You must keep your eyes on them all the time.
It's exhausting.

There used to be just one statue, but then I had to make another . . . and another.
Some believers in Jesus don't see the need for statues like mine.
They aren't encircled. Protected.
How blinded they are. They talk about freedom and the need to be careful in what we condemn.

Permissive sinners. That's what they must be.
Here I am, sweating, chiseling away at holiness.
While they walk about, talking about grace and even doing some of the things I know are wrong.
I have to keep my eyes on them too.
They want to tear down my statues. I know it.
They want to turn them into rubble.

Jesus, I'll be honest, one thing bothers me.
The more I build these statues for You, the less I can see You. Our relationship seems so cold.
I feel so fearful . . . so angry. You seem so distant.

The statues circle me like a solid wall.
They're polished white marble . . . on the outside.
But inside, they're hollow. Empty. Dumb.
Why do I build these images?
Why do I feel compelled to sculpt my own righteousness?
What is this hollow feeling inside me? --Tom Felten

DESTINATION POINTS

* What legalistic statues do I have in my life?
* How can I "live to the Lord" (Romans 14:8) and not to myself?

LINKS:
Do I Have The Right Kind Of Faith?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0603

bottom line: Making your own righteousness is futile.

soul journey