Forgive us, Father, when we engage is hearty conversation about you in restaurants, and then woefully under-tip our servers; when we drive like madmen and madwomen on the interstate, with our fish symbols and other Christian “markers” on our cars; when we overindulge in food and beverage and call it “Christian liberty”; when we cop bad attitudes because checkout lines, traffic, and service-people don’t move fast enough for us; when our neighbors hear more gossip than gospel from us. Forgive us, Father, forgive me.
Forgive us, Father, when “outsiders” feel just as unwelcome inside out church buildings as on the outside; when our gatherings as your people, to worship you—even to partake of the Lord’s Supper, “do more harm than good” (1 Corinthians 11:17); when, as followers of Jesus, “we bite and devour one another”(Galatians 5:15) rather than love and serve one another; when our churches compete with one another, publicly criticize one another, and do little, if anything, to make our cities better places to live. Forgive us, Father, forgive me.
Show us what it means to do all things in line with the truth of the gospel (Gal. 2:14). We’re not performers, but neither are we free to contradict the gospel, in which we boast and on which we have staked our lives. We’re no longer our own, Father, we belong to you—lock, stock and barrel. May we with gladsome hearts, good attitudes and godly living demonstrate our present and eternal gratitude. May we reveal the true and lasting beauty of grace. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ peerless and transforming name.
From Heavenward, by Scotty Smith
