March 3 (1 Corinthians 4:3, 4)

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  It is the Lord who judges me.  (NIV)

We really do obsess about ourselves.  A lot.  All of the time.  Much of this self-obsession takes one of two forms.  We dwell on our sins and imperfections, beating ourselves up, or we concoct grand schemes of justification.  Such and such a thing is not really a sin for me because….

Paul’s words to the Corinthians may seem to support this latter form of self-justification, but in fact it flies in the face of all self-absorption.  He is so utterly and completely captivated by the vision of Jesus that he can see nothing else.  His relationship with God is all that matters.  It is without qualification.  It shapes and guides his life because it is his life.  He does not care what others think of him, but then again, he does not care what he thinks of himself.  He does not think of himself at all.  His all in all is Jesus Christ.

This is what I want.  I want Jesus to fill my vision so completely that I see all things through Him and in essence see nothing but Him.  What a joyous relief this would be from the agonizing and constant critique of me that goes on in my head!  How much more loving and gracious my relationships with friends and family would be!  Put simply, it would lead to a much less stressful and far more faithful life.

O Jesus, let me see nothing but You!  In the words of St. Patrick, I pray, “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit, Christ when I stand, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.”  Amen.

Copyright © 2013 by Steven R. Perkins