Guilt Not Hidden – My Folly – Because of Me

This one is all about me. These come from Psalm 69 and reflect the focus of the first few verses on the author and his sin. Like the author, I am a sinner, and these phrases are all about me and how I fall short.

This first phrase reminds us that God knows everything we do, kind of like the Santa people tell their kids about. Many of the ways in which we fall short are totally missed by the rest of the world. Whether we avoid being kind to a stranger or neglect to contact a friend. God knows when we fail. He still loves us. He sent His son while we were yet sinners. God calls us to repent of these hidden sins as much as those that are obvious to our friends and neighbors.

My Folly. Sounds like the name of a boat. I struggled to find a way to figure out how to align my owning nice seats to the Astros in with my attempt to follow God. In the end it was all folly and I am much better off without them. I am sure I have other things about me that are not best, and therefore folly, but I am still trying to discern what God made me to be.

Because of Me. I have failed. I have recollections of being a kid and not being very Christlike. I saw a person in Vegas who reminded me of one person I particularly failed. I obviously cannot go back and change it. In spite of my forgiveness of missing the mark, I am seeking to overcome the parts of me that still judge others according to worldly issues rather than the love of God. I did not really miss a chance to engage this person, but I was confronted by the fact that I still wanted to avoid doing so for the same reasons as when I was a kid. As I noted at my last Bible study, then closer we get to God, the better we understand how imperfect we are.

The goal is to love everyone, even against the most ingrained paradigms we have. It is not an easy path for someone working in their own strength. Some would say it is impossible. But I know that if I die to my own flesh, then Christ can live in me and I can overcome myself.