I’m Screwed

via TJC

For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? - 1 Peter 4:17

When I was a teenager I was often responsible to watch my two younger sisters while my parents left the house. They would playfully joke with me saying “Please don’t burn the house down,” before leaving to have an evening out. One such evening my younger sisters did something that was so infuriating to me that they became very afraid and locked themselves in the bathroom to keep me away from them. My rage would not tolerate that, so I began kicking in the door until the door frame had splintered. I can only imagine how terrifying that was for my sisters, but in almost an instant my anger had been replaced with dread for what I had done. “I’m so totally screwed right now.” I thought to myself, knowing that there was no way to hide what I had done and that my parents' judgment would be extremely unpleasant. I spent the next hour uncomfortable because of what I knew would happen when my parents arrived home.

This memory of my childhood is my most vivid picture of what awaiting judgment is like. As followers of Christ our entire lives are spent in that waiting period between the moment you realize how badly you’ve screwed up and the moment when you will be judged. The scale of how badly I’ve screwed up in life and fallen short of God’s standards is so much bigger than a splintered door frame, so naturally I become very uncomfortable with the idea that I will be required to answer for every indiscretion. There’s something else that’s similar though. As a child I knew that I would not be disowned for breaking something, and that the door would not remain broken forever. So I must see my life in much the same way when it comes to God’s judgment. I’m no less a child of God for having screwed my life up beyond my ability to fix it.

Daily Battle Order:

This week TJC is exploring this idea of judgment. Today, imagine all your thoughts and actions are being recorded to be played back to you at some other time. It’s easy to focus on what judgment should or should not come to others, but it is critically important that we turn that focus inward on ourselves as well. This will be uncomfortable, but take heart! There is good news about judgment at the end of the week.

–

You’re invited!

Please join The Joshua Commission leadership over Zoom this coming Saturday for a lesson on victory. This lesson will be a virtual version of a lesson you might receive with us at a battlefield event. Please join us Saturday, November 5th at 9:00 am Eastern: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89652926018?pwd=dmN3RlErOGJsR3JlN0l0TnZzZHAydz09