I'll never forget the day my dentist, looking at the x-ray, told me a tooth needed to come out! I had waited too long! The pain forced me to take action! When we truly understand our spiritual poverty (v.3) and its damage, deep conviction should lead us to mourn. Jesus states in verse 4, "blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." To mourn is to be aware of our sinful nature in the light of His sinless Nature. God is grieved when we avoid the prognosis of our sin by excusing or minimizing our sinful behavior. That's why we tend to equate happiness with outward success, riches, being famous and popular or involved in activities that show us off as better than others. But listen to God's assessment of our true nature. It is revealing! "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Rom.3:10), and it is because "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isa.54:6) in God's sight. Discipleship involves sorrow for sin and repudiation of this world's system of measurement. That's why we are called strangers; unwelcome guests of this world.
What a relief after I allowed the dentist to take care of my tooth! Likewise, when we respond to God's prognosis and obey Him, we "will be comforted" and real joy will result. When we acknowledge our sin, true mourning leads to repentance. That is an important second step to authentic discipleship.
1 comment:
Not fun, but true!
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