AM I A GOOD MAN?

I was asked today in an email why I said in one of my posts that I am not a good man. I answered as best I could, and briefly. I am going to attempt to answer in more detail here, because I think it comes to bear on how I perceive life.

Am I a good man? No, I am not.

However, if I am comparing myself to other men, am I good then? You see, to me that is a pointless question. Not that the question is stupid, mind you, because it is not. It’s just that to me, I don’t compare myself to other men anymore. I used to do nothing BUT compare myself to other men, and believe me, I found every one of them to be wanting, to be lacking when compared to me.

I compared intelligence, strength, achievement, and all manner of other measuring sticks. And all of that was worthless. Actually, let me say that it wasn’t worthless to me then, but it is worthless to me now.

To compare myself to another man is not only pointless right now, but I see the futility in it even without knowing Christ. After all, how can two men be compared when they have lived such different lives, with very different people and very different circumstances? To me, they can’t be compared, not fairly, unless all things are equal.

Well, what do you know? Jesus makes all things equal for me. Despite my circumstances, despite my sins, despite what I have or have not accomplished, all things are now equal for me. Does that mean I can go about and compare myself to others? NO! Absolutely not!.

Not unless, that is, I want to be every man’s judge.

In these United States, we believe that in a court of law, all things are somehow equal enough so that a jury of our “peers” can make a judgment regarding guilt or innocence. But even in our mostly “just” court system, mistakes are made.

For me, there is no mistake any more. Jesus is my judge, and He has freed me from fear of judgment and condemnation. I not only no longer have to fear imperfection, but I don’t have to fear other people so much that I judge them because of that fear. That doesn’t mean I do this perfectly, mind you. I still get judgmental at times, but a little voice in my head reminds me of Christ, and my judgmental voice is silenced immediately.

You know, I once heard words that are now famous. “There but for the grace of God, go I”

I don’t like that phrase. I think it should be changed to, “There, because of the grace of God, go I”. That person I am looking at when I say that is not me, and yet, he is me. If he is my neighbor (every man is my neighbor), I can love him as if he is me, because I have been first loved by someone so much greater than me, that to make a COMPARISON would be POINTLESS.

My, it seems we have come full circle with this topic, doesn’t it?

Why am I not a good man? Because the only good man I know is Jesus Christ, and since He is God, comparing myself to Him is pointless. All things being made equal, I find myself equal to every man, having the same flaws they all have, and having the same hope in Christ He offered to all. He offers me friendship, and the opportunity to be a servant of the greatest, BY FAR AND FAR AND FARTHER, Being in the universe.

My Abba, my Father in heaven, God. He is beyond me, but in me. If I ever do anything that is good, you will know instantly that is God completing the good work He has started in me.

Good hope to you all.