No I'm Not

One of my favorite people in our congregation is a fellow motorcycle rider and a servant-hearted handyman. He comes in whenever necessary and fixes...well, whatever needs fixing. I always tell him, "You're a good man, Harold*", to which he invariably replies, "No I'm not." Sometimes he adds, "God's the One that's good."

This morning I read that "...the heart of the wicked is of little value." Proverbs 10:20

How profoundly true. Even the saved, the elect, are at one point separated from God: listless, useless and powerless. I know full well that if it hadn't been for the Father's pursuit of me and the quickening of His Spirit that I would have remained dead in my sinfulness. The older I get, the more deeply I feel and know my complete and utter dependence upon God. Unfortunately, I don't always live my life like that - I still grab the wheel and try to steer myself around - but the fact that the Father is my only help and hope settles more deeply in my soul with each passing year.

So, Harold is right - he's not good. But God is. And because God is good we are rescued from our sinful selves and enabled to do the good things He prepared for us to do. Thanks for having the right attitude, Harold.

*Name has been changed to protect the guilty, and on the off chance that "Harold" should read this post, I don't want him to be embarrassed...:)