I MADE ME
This was on the license plate of a sweet little sports car that I happened to be stuck behind in traffic. Quite a statement. The longer I followed it the angrier it made me. Really?? Really?? How absolutely arrogant? What a worldly stance – seriously how full of pride can you be. What a moron. How could anyone be so utterly self absorbed and full of pride. UGH.
Then, a voice in my head started berating me about judging. "Judge not, that you be not judged (Matthew 7:1) But God, I thought, the driver is doing you a disservice! They should be praising you for everything they have, but NOOOOOO – they are throwing it out there for the whole world to see that it's ALL about them. Seriosuly?? You should totally bring down fire and brim stone on their heads – like right now!!
Gently, the voice started quoting scripture to me. "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37)
I slowly began to realized that judging was exactly what I was doing. Judging the driver because of the 7 little letters on the back of the car. Not knowing the person, not knowing the circumstance, just judging from what I saw with my eyes. God used those 7 little letters to point out to me my own sin. Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. Psalm 119:18
It's sad, and kind of scary how quickly you slip into the flesh. He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. Psalm 10: 9-10. I was so quickly stumbled by 7 little letters. I was humbled by my insight. I started praying for forgiveness and for the driver of the car.
Ironically, while this conversation was going on in my head, the song that was playing on my CD player was You Love me Anyway by Sidewalk Prophets:
The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind
Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me
It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking
ground
Yes then, I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
Yes,You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
You love me, yes You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me
So when the world thinks "I MADE ME", I give thanks and continue to ask God to mold me into the vessel that He wants me to be and can use. But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.Isaiah 64:8
