Pitch

Have you ever sung in a choir and sat next to someone who was off pitch?  I guess it's not really that bad, you just lean over a bit, sing a little louder and hope they can finally make a good match.  This experience, however, was somewhat different.  The out of pitch person next to me was leaning a little closer, singing a little louder, hoping I would get in tune.  Talk about rocking my confidence...was I out of tune?  Have I always been out of tune?  Have people been putting up with me for years?  Are my friends too kind, my director too professional and my mother too....motherly to tell me I was off?  Who was off?  Who should be helping whom?  There must be a right pitch.  There must be some standard. 

Has my world gotten out of tune?  Is my heart "pitchy"?  Why are things that were unacceptable before just fine now?  Living together, once frowned upon is now almost encouraged.  Marriage, an agreement  "......till death do us part" switched to ".....till I don't feel like it anymore".  Gambling, a ponzi scheme gaining profit only when its customers lose money, was unapproved.  Now, gambling has become accepted behavior flaunted by our government to raise money for its insatiable appetites.   What else has my world retuned itself to to get me to sing a different song?  I don't even want to sing a different song.  Why do I go along with these new melodies? 

Where do I establish my beliefs and standards?  Is there something unmovable for me to maintain consistency in my life?  If I follow what I feel I flop all over on my convictions.  God never flopped or second guessed His truth.  David, the man after God's own heart, changed his tune....God didn't back down.  David paid dearly for his lust and seduction of another man's wife and the murder of her husband.  God's chosen people disobeyed.  They wandered and died outside the promised land.  God didn't change the rules because they were special. 

God has expectations and instruction in His Word for me to stay the course.  He's not withholding things from me, He's keeping me from holding on to the wrong things.  Christ stayed the course all the way to the cross.  How far would I go? 

If you ever sing next to me in this life and I'm slipping out of tune, please lean over, sing a little louder and get me back on pitch.

Addiction

Have I become addicted to the drugs of the "pharisudicals"?  Do this, do that and everything will be fabulous.  The Pharisees had it all figured out.  All the rules and regulations were written down on their hearts of stone.  There was no desire to love God, there was only a desire to think they were wonderful.

Why do I feel I can achieve greatness to a point of perfection and stand before the creator of the world?  Why do I even want to be perfect?

"Wow, I'm pretty incredable!"
"I wonder what everyone thinks about me?"
"Now I must be good enough to go before God."

Doing things to achieve perfection and make myself wonderful in the sight of a perfect God, drags out my pride and blemishes the wonderfulness of it all.  God never tries to be perfect.  He never wonders or thinks about it.  God is just perfect!

My only possibility to come before such a great God is to realize how pitiful I really am and allow the blood of Jesus to cover me as I approach the throne.  When Jesus' blood has covered my sin and the Holy Spirit moves into my life, I can finally realize that all this has nothing to do with me.  I now can serve and do good because thats what my God deserves. 

I must cry for mercy not praise.  I must serve for His glory not my portfolio.  I must change my addiction to Christ.