Have you ever "lost it"?

I feel like I “lost it” yesterday.  You know, the “lost your temper, lost your mind” kind of “lost it” – and it’s usually over stupid stuff.  Afterwards – I felt “stupid” to have reacted the way I did.  Then I began to beat myself up and I was mad at myself for having acted like that.   Granted - it was stupid and needless and useless…but maybe not quite useless to God, though.

I went to bed early to reflect on my behavior in quiet solitude…and kept saying to myself “Why did I do that?”  And even this morning, as I continued to emotionally “flog” myself…it came to me.  My attempts to “self-justify” only causes me anguish.  And that’s what I was in yesterday-anguish!  I was in pain because I had messed up and acted with very little grace, mercy or kindness --as if I am not capable of acting like that.  But that’s the whole point that God can use:  I am capable of being like that and I am never capable of justifying myself for it.

In Romans 3:20- 23, Paul talks about that very thing…
“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands.

The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law…We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
This is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.”

I didn’t act like I should have…or as Paul would say “by doing what the law commands.”  Reflecting on it over and over in my mind only showed me how sinfully selfish my behavior can be.  There was nothing I could do to change it, take it back, erase it and I didn’t get a “do-over” either.  My sinful self had been made plain for all around me to see, and I was ashamed and wanted it all to be made “right” again.  But no matter how much I thought about, I could not make it right.  All I could do was come to that final place of humility and repentance. 

I cannot justify myself…but I can go to “The Justifier.”

God wired us in the beginning of creation to be justified…to be right with Him.   Adam & Eve were wired that way…but sin broke the connection.  We are designed to be plugged into our Creator, Savior God.

 As Romans 3:23-24 says (NIV) “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Jesus is my justifier.  He’s the One who can take what seems stupid, needless and useless and He can use it to drive me from my sin to my Savior.