Righteousness (as defined by dictionary.com):
n: 1. The quality or state of being righteous or just
2. Righteous conduct
Well there you have it. Our world’s thoughts on how to be righteous. Behave correctly.
Easier said than done, am I right?
As a recent college grad, I’ve been struggling the last few weeks with my relationship in the Lord. I am so used to being surrounded by community all day every day. At school, I lived with 9 amazing women of God, was poured into deeply by a small group, and was a leader in my college ministry (InterVarsity). I was being affirmed in my identity in Christ ALL the time. And it was easy to feel righteous.
It was easy to conduct righteously, and it was easy to feel as though my “state” was just and righteous.
But it wasn’t…
My state is human, and my conduct is sinful.
I really don’t like how that looks, if I’m being honest. None of us do. We (as part of our human state) love (I mean love) to be affirmed. My closest friends and I would affirm each other nearly daily. Which is great, and important and beautiful. But the truth is, on my own these last few weeks, without the community I was so comfortable in, and encouraged by, I’ve had to face the uncomfortable truth that I’m really not that great.
I struggle daily with wanting to obey the Lord. I struggle daily with wanting to spend time with him. And a lot of times, “struggle” is as super christian-y nice word for giving into selfish desires.
So, in the midst of me preparing myself for 11 months in full time ministry all over the world, spreading the gospel, and loving on God’s people, God is hugely humbling me.
It’s okay that I can’t be righteous on my own.
In fact, it’s beautiful that I can’t be righteous on my own.
The Hebrew word for righteous is tzedek and it means innocent or blameless. In the Old Testament, God is frequently referred to as “God our Righteousness.” God is our righteousness. He makes us blameless. Only He makes us blameless. In Romans 4, Paul assures us that Christ grants righteousness apart from works. Who does that? It’s crazy, and ridiculous, and beautiful. We don’t have to find ourselves in a state of always doing things right. Which is music to my ears as I consistently try and fail.
Somehow, God chose this broken vessel to serve him through World Race. My prayer is that I would be so full of him, I would forget the rules of society. Not that I would be so full of society that I need to constantly that I need to constantly be checking my “righteousness level” with the Law of the Lord.
