God's sufficiency is not limited by my deficiency.
God's Love is not diminished by my frequent indifference toward Him. 
God assesses me of no lesser value because I've been damaged.
God's capacity to forgive me is not lessened by my heavy demand for grace.
God's faithfulness to me is not limited by my imperfect theology.

Life is a journey best traveled in groups of no less than two. Jesus will always go with me. Hebrews 13:5

The biggest hindrance to me serving God more completely and loving others as He does is not the hypocrite in the church but the one that occasionally shows his face in my mirror. It is a treacherous ambition, embarked upon with great peril to act upon the notion, (given the sometimes duplicitous nature of my own heart), to make judgments about what is in the hearts of others. Lord God, I cannot know your heart toward me when I don't allow you to show me what's in my heart toward you and toward others.

Only in Christ is there is any true righteousness of character and apart from Him I am far less than what I might expect of others. The mercy of the Lord toward me breaks my unmerciful demands of others. Newness of life is found in Christ and it is walked out in His grace. Grace affords me the next breath, the next step, and the next chance. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, I thank you for birthing and raising me up in a life that I could not otherwise live. I am completely dependent upon you.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Romans 2

2 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

The fact that there is no one exactly like you is cause for joy and sorrow. The joy comes from the fact that you were formed, and endowed with unique and singular qualities as produced by God our creator. The fact that there is only one of you, means that your life is a precious commodity and that it uniquely declares God's brilliance and His creative genius.

The fact that there is only one of you means that others will have to wait until you arrive on the scene of their lives, because there is not another of you to be there until you get there. Your uniqueness is sorrowful because once you are gone there will not be another of you to come in this present world.

You mean something because God meant to make you. Jesus Christ died for you that through your redemption the wonder of who you are will shine more profoundly because of who He is in your life. Jesus takes away our sin when we ask Him to and when He does (through His shed blood) the Holy Spirit makes these earthen vessels glow with God's Glory.

- Psalm 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

John 15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

If we target people intent on converting them to the image of the Christ that we have created, we don’t love them, we love ourselves. Narcissistic counterfeits of authentic Christianity make replication of ourselves the goal rather than introducing people to the transforming love of Christ.

Only Christ saves. We are not the Holy Spirit. God transforms His church into the likeness of Christ. God is love.

May I see the things in my thoughts and actions things that would not welcome the real Christ into my daily life, interactions with others, and into His church. God forgive me and lead me forward in the true revelation of who You are. Thank you for the Word of God and for the the Holy Spirit.