"Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hear; open thine eyes, O Lord, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God." Isaiah 37:17
Self-vindication, an affliction for most people, hits Christians due to an inability to properly identify the real cause of attack. We do the right thing, say the right thing, act the right way, and stand up for what is right, and we get scorned, insulted, mocked, and misunderstood. The trick is, however, that it is not we that are being scorned, insulted, mocked, and misunderstood; it is the life of God inside us.
When we are rightly related to God, His presence in us will produce a life and light that those in darkness cannot tolerate or understand. "For everyone that doeth evil hates the light" (John 3:20). It was true for our Lord; it is true for those who have His life and light within them.
Just as we get confused about who is fighting us (viz., Satan and his forces; not your parents, teacher, co-workers, boss, etc.), so too we get just as confused about Who they are fighting. They fight us, not because of us, but because of the Life and Light within us. The darkness attacks the light, and God is the light; if we are with Him, we will be attacked for His sake, not ours. Self-vindication (devilish quicksand!) fades like chaff in the wind when we realize that it is God whom they attack; it is not about us, but always about Him.
I am not in the crossfire;
I am on the front lines,
Not for my own sake,
But for the sake of Another...
-Jon Vowell
Self-vindication, an affliction for most people, hits Christians due to an inability to properly identify the real cause of attack. We do the right thing, say the right thing, act the right way, and stand up for what is right, and we get scorned, insulted, mocked, and misunderstood. The trick is, however, that it is not we that are being scorned, insulted, mocked, and misunderstood; it is the life of God inside us.
When we are rightly related to God, His presence in us will produce a life and light that those in darkness cannot tolerate or understand. "For everyone that doeth evil hates the light" (John 3:20). It was true for our Lord; it is true for those who have His life and light within them.
Just as we get confused about who is fighting us (viz., Satan and his forces; not your parents, teacher, co-workers, boss, etc.), so too we get just as confused about Who they are fighting. They fight us, not because of us, but because of the Life and Light within us. The darkness attacks the light, and God is the light; if we are with Him, we will be attacked for His sake, not ours. Self-vindication (devilish quicksand!) fades like chaff in the wind when we realize that it is God whom they attack; it is not about us, but always about Him.
I am not in the crossfire;
I am on the front lines,
Not for my own sake,
But for the sake of Another...
-Jon Vowell
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