God Speaks We Goof

The Rule: I am righteous because I encountered God.

I sat patiently floating in the cold ocean waiting for a wave to come my way. And there it was, gaining in size, a rolling hill of water with its peak making its way straight for me. Not only that, but the steepness of the wave was perfect for me to catch. The lip was nearly cresting over. No other surfer was near me. This wave almost seemed to be calling out my name. I turned and paddled, excited to catch one of the best waves that day. I stood up and immediately the speed in which I surfed down the face of the wave, caught be off balance and I fell with a disappointed grunt. I was pissed. Just because a perfectly formed wave is coming my way, doesn't make me a great surfer.

This makes me think about my relationship with God. Just because God is speaking to me doesn't make me more righteous. God speaks and moves despite my sin, or lack thereof. God moves freely outside of me. He does his own thing, and if I fail to miss what he is doing or saying, that is my fault, and God just moves on. What right do I have to think that God speaks to me because I am right with Him?

We should never pride ourselves with our encounters with God. This is not on our own merit. Heck, we might even screw up the message he is trying to say to us. Who knows. I'm not perfect and spiritual wipeouts happen even to the best professionals.