Quandary: You get in
the middle of a line thinking it is the end of the line because the facility’s
employee has asked those already in line to leave a path for cross-traffic. After listening to the employee redirect
several other middle-of-the-line-joiners you realize your mistake. Do you step out of line and move to the true
rear of the line OR do you remain where you are and pretend you have done
everything according to code and have no reason to relocate?
Live the Lie?…. Or…. Admit your Mistake and make Correction?...
How often do we all
face this type of decision? We misspeak, but don’t want to
look foolish so opt out of correcting ourselves. We forget to drop something in the mail as promised, but say we did anyway and hope no one
checks the postmark. We lie so no one knows we didn’t do, don’t know, don’t want it, didn’t care… All because it’s “easier” or “faster” or “better”
to stay where we are than to admit we screwed up.
But is it?
Is it easier on the inside?
In our hearts? In our minds? It takes a whole lot of effort to ignore your
conscious. It takes a whole lot of work
to keep most lies going. And it takes a
huge toll when a house of cards comes crashing down around you and those in
your vicinity.
But we all do it.
Why?
As we so cursed as human beings that we must spend our
entire existence trying to cover up what embarrasses us? Our little foibles. Our flaws. Our "oops!" moments. All those little things that might make us look – oh my goodness! –
HUMAN?!
In Romans 3:22 Paul reminds us that we all
fall short of the glory of God. None of us is
perfect. None of us has it all
together. No one does things the right
way at the right time every
time. If we did there would be no need
for spell check, or "do over's", or photoshop.
Or more importantly… FORGIVENESS.
God did not create forgiveness so that we can
forgive everyone else who does something we don’t approve of or are offended by
or think we would never do. Just the opposite. God provided
forgiveness for US! You and me. He didn’t need it. He still
doesn’t need it. WE do. You and me. Because we’re human.
All of us.
And we make mistakes.
All the time.
We’re not perfect.
Even though sometimes we reeeeaaaally
don’t want to admit that.
So, instead of feeling guilty for losing your temper. Or embarrassed that you accused someone wrongly. Or covering up a
mistake with a lie. Or feeling less worthy
because you made the same mistake again. Forgive yourself. Then make it right. You’re human.
You are gonna make mistakes. And you are already forgiven – Jesus died a long time ago because He
knew we were going to screw things up exactly like we do.
Because we’re human.
All of us.
Going back to my original quandary – the situation I
described really happened. Not to me,
but to the lady who found herself in front of me in line at Union Station in
Los Angeles because she cut in line and never corrected her mistake. And you know what, she got checked in before
I did. And she got on our train before I
did. But we both got where we were
going. We both sat in the same row, next
to the same window, sharing the same arm rest.
So her choosing to stay in the middle of the line didn’t really
ultimately affect me at all, (Okay, it made me a little mad thus prompting this post
topic…) but it sure did make her look uncomfortable
as she waited in line constantly looking behind her to see if the station employee would
notice her misstep and send her to the rear of the line.
And so the question remains – it is worth it? Is compromising your honesty to avoid admitting a mistake really worth it? Because we are all going to get to our final
destinations, but what condition will our hearts and minds be in when we get
there?
Forgiveness is gift. A free gift.
No strings attached. (Yes, I just
quoted Barrington Bunny - because he's the best!) I’m not saying
we should do whatever we want and then simply say we forgive ourselves, but I am
saying to cut yourself some slack. Learn
to laugh at your mistakes. Accept that
you are human. And don’t worry about
moving to the back of the line when it's the right thing to do. It's not worth your integrity to avoid admitting you're human. Besides, don’t
you remember, Jesus said the last will be first…
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Romans 3:22-25a
And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
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