Sure Footing

He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. -Psalms 40:2

This is a message to myself as much as it is for any follower of Jesus Christ.

Before we move, we must learn how to stand, and the only way by which we stand firm in our spirit (entailing that our mind and our body follow suit) is through our dependence on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We can never hope to accomplish anything for God's kingdom if we do not first recognize how we do it all by His grace.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. -Isaiah 64:6

Can the unclean's efforts be of any use to the clean? No. The point here is we can only do so much with all of our own strength, but it will never measure up to God's holiness.

By whose standards do we call ourselves Christians? Are we seeking the attention and approval of others? Do we have our own ideas on what being a Christian should be like? Are we carrying out beliefs, trying to stand on mud?

Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith, and if we ought to call ourselves Christians, then let us put the 'Christ' in it! One who wishes to leap and bound must first learn to stand up, and we can never hope to even stand if the foundation we have is not sure!

I end this with a passage many of us know:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6

Jesus Christ is truly our all in all; He is our strength, our guidance, our peace - but before it all He is our salvation, and our path to true purpose. Return to Him as today.