Justifying

Luke 10:29

29But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

All week I have been hearing the word justify in my spirit and when I went for a morning run the word echoed even louder.

A lawyer who was in the crowd while Jesus was teaching asked what he ought to do in order to inherit eternal life. The lawyer knew the law but wanted to see what Jesus had to say about it. Jesus answered the lawyer with a question and asked the him to recite the law for himself. And once he did, Jesus let him know he answered correctly. But the lawyer wanted to justify his understanding of who is neighbor was considered to be. And then Jesus gave the parable of the good Samaritan.

Justifying behaviors or beliefs are very common. But sometimes the justification is an excuse used to free oneself from responsibility. Hence, Jesus gave the parable as He did. He did it to show that regardless of the person, treat them as you would want to be treated. But if you always justify your own bad habits and behaviors, you will justify the same in others. Instead of holding yourself to the standard God has for you, you will justify what you do as the world sees and accepts and then you will do the same in others. What does justify mean? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary justify means 1)to prove to be just, right or reasonable 2) to pronounce free from guilt or blame 3) to adjust spaces in a line of printed text so the margins are even.

The second definition is the one Jesus shed his blood on the cross for. To free us. However, when you bind yourself with excuses for why you will not or choose not to grow, change, let go of negative behaviors, or even negative people, you make what Jesus did on cross seem so trivial. He gave you the power to break free from ALL things that are not in line with Him. As long as you hang on to those things you are not loving you, not the way God loves you and you certainly are not loving your neighbor the way God intended you to. Loving those around you starts with you. But you have to love yourself enough to understand when God is showing you that what you are doing isn't good for you. If it isn't a good behavior for you, chances are, it isn't good for those God has called you to love. When Jesus shows you, be willing to stop justifying so you can be truly free and stop pretending to be.


P.S. The official trailer for my new book, Shh Don't Tell is here! Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvKJgK2gU30