Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown, Jim Croce, 1973
Do you ever feel bad? No, not sick, bad. (Sinful.) Or Maybe your think you're good. (Righteous.) How do we judge our actions?
Sometimes we judge ourselves by the people around us. We watch Wheel of Fortune and think we're the smartest person ever, only to follow up with Jeopardy, and realize we don't know anything. At the pool, we feel absolutely thin next to that heavier person, until the mom of 4 in the bikini with her 6-pack abs walks by.
So are you "good" or "bad" based upon those around you? Maybe you don't gossip as much her...but you don't do as much prayer time as her. The truth is the only comparison we should be making is to Jesus. And compared to him, we are like Leroy Brown, "baddest man in the whole damn town."
But do you know what is amazing about God? He loves us every when we're bad. He's not like some Santa Claus figure who rejects you when your bad. No, the Bible says He loves us while we were still sinners. And He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, so that we may spend eternity with Him.
I'm bad. But because of Jesus I'm saved. And I'm working every day to be better. How about you?
Verse: Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Musical Musings:
1. Do you have a messy life? Do you believe God has forgiven you in spite of it?
2. Are you still living life like the baddest person in town? What can you do to start changing?
3. If you think you are "good," try reading Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:12, Mark 10:18, and Luke 18:19. Ask God to forgive you too for failing to meet God's perfect standard of good.
Karaoke: Dear Lord, I want to be good. I want to do good. Thank you Lord for sending Jesus to fill the gap between my attempts at being good and Your Goodness. You alone are good and I thank you for showing me that while I am bad, a sinner, that you love me and sent your Son so that I can be considering righteous. All I have to do is be your child, and I will be presented holy and blameless. Thank you Lord for changing me! In Jesus Name, amen.
Rock On: Still struggling with the concept over being considered a sinner? Read Luke 15:1-7. There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
6 comments:
I absolutly LOVE this! You hit the nail on the head. The Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy and the pool stories are SO true. And it is so easy to feel like we are better than someone else when we have no idea what is going on inside them.
I'm so glad I came by and read this today!
Hi Kelly,
Man, does this song bring back memories...both good and bad. *hee hee* Pun intended.
The truth is, apart from God's power, grace, love and faithfulness, I would be Bad to the Bone.
Hope you are well, my friend. I WISH I was going to see you at She Speaks this year!
And I hope your precious little girl's finger is healing nicely. I'm so sorry she broke it! Mine is still deeply bruised, but as long as I don't touch it, I'm okay.
"You ain't so bad!"
--Rocky.
CK,
Thank you for being, rather than seeming to be, a friend.
Amen to this! What an amazing concept...that God accepts/forgives/loves us as we are—naughty, nice or bad to the bone.
Hope you're having a great summer!
Hi Kelly,
what a wonderful post and good for me to read today. I struggle with comparing myself so much!
Thanks for the reminder that God loves me...just because!
It's so important to understand that God loves us for who we are, not for what we do. Because what we do will always fall short of anything we can try! And when we try to compare ourselves with others, even the "best", then we just set ourselves up for agony and defeat.
God wants us to look to Him, always, even with our slightest of insecurities. We shine like stars when He shines through us!
"I've looked around enough to know that You're the One I want to go through time with...." (Jim Croce was a wonderful songwriter!)
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