Work In Progress

I am willfully disobedient every single day. I am, in fact, nothing but a sinner.

Yes, you read that right.... My true confession. I'd also be able to add "liar" to that statement if I said I did not sin every day. We all sin. And one sin is not greater than the other. God doesn't love me more because my sin was "better" or your sin was "worse". Sin is sin is sin all day every day. One sin is not greater or lesser, better or worse, than the other.

Someone walks into church and they are expected to be sin free from that moment on? Or they are saved and automatically they are living a sin free life from that point on? Are you kidding me? I don't know about you but I need forgiveness daily. My flesh is weak. I break down and sin ..... Even with the things I know to be sinful (that's where the willful disobedience comes in). Truth is that God is always working on me. I'm His little hot mess. Yes, that's me. I'm sure there are days He'd like to just throw His hands in the air, walk away and just give up on me. But I am surely thankful that He hasn't done that yet.

I have tried to see this as being the case for others too. When I see and hear some of the things people do and say I sometimes start to get a little bit of a haughty attitude. Then I remember where I came from. I remember how willfully disobedient I can be at times. I remember how God loved me through it. I also remember how the changes in me happened over YEARS. And I know that God worked on me one sin at a time (and continues to work on me, which is why I say that I am a "work in progress"). I know God is not done with me yet. So then, I also know He's not done with you yet either.

The next time you look at someone and see they aren't living as they should (cheating, lying, drug addict, sex addict, homosexual, stealing, gossiping.....or any other number of sinful ways) remember that they are a child of God too. And they, too, may just be a work in progress. And it's not your place to tell them they aren't up to the speed you think they should be (calling out sinful behavior to a fellow believer is a different story for a different day). That's up to God. It's your job to love, guide and lead by example. And it's ok to admit that you are a work in progress also. We all have our weakness and temptations to deal with.

The next time you decide that you are going to judge someone else for their "sin", pick up a mirror and take a long hard look at yourself. You are responsible for YOU. I am responsible for ME. It is not our place to decide what sin the Holy Spirit should be working on in someone's life.....not one of us has been given Divine permission to dictate the order in which the Holy Spirit deals with sin in others. We are all just a "work in progress".

I'm just a work in progress. And I'm thankful that my Father is the Potter and can mend whatever is broken in this vessel. I am thankful for the sacrifice He made so that I may be forgiven, so that I may be saved. I am thankful for His grace and that it is available to me every single day of my life.