It's All About Christ (Psalm 25:7)

Many years ago when I had first come to Christ, I was working in a steel mill in eastern Pennsylvania.  I was working at the electric furnace and met another Christian, Butch, with whom I fellowshipped daily.  One day, he asked how I was doing.  I was not joyful as I had been on previous days.  I had recently sinned and had lost my joy.  My life was overcome with guilt and I was being pulled down by the enemy.  The further my heart sank, the more I was convinced that God was mad at me and I no longer had his love.  It was at that point that Butch pulled me to the side and reminded me that the Christian life was not about me, but that it was all about Christ.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord. (Psalms 25:7)

As we talked, I began to understand that my life could never be lived to the standard of being acceptable to God and that him accepting me would always be based on his mercy and loving kindness.  For me, confession was still needed, but that would never warrant acceptance.  Even when I confessed, I knew that being acceptable and pleasing in his sight would be based on his mercy, loving kindness and goodness.

So many people are trapped into trying to repent, confess or surrender enough to reach a point of acceptance.  What they fail to see is that because of God's mercy and goodness, he accepts us and then gives us the ability to repent, confess and surrender.

If your Christianity focuses on you and your performance, then you have it all backwards.  Take the advice from my friend, Butch who told me many years ago, "It's all about Christ!  It's all about Christ!"