TRUE TO MYSELF?
Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God that keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments» (Deuteronomy 7:9).
«BE TRUE TO YOURSELF» The phrase is very popular these days. It conveys the idea of being sincere and honest to yourself; being very familiar with what you believe and putting it into practice. In a world that preaches the gospel of self-fulfillment, it fits in perfectly. But there is a problem with this philosophy of life, as Pastor Mark Buchanan illustrates in the following story.
It is the case of a wedding Buchanan was to officiate, but the couple insisted on writing their own wedding vows. Weary of what those «personal» vows sometimes say, he asked to review them. A phrase the groom had included in his promises to his fiancée particularly caught his eye. It said, «I promise I will be true to myself.”
«Was that what the groom wanted to say?» Buchanan wondered. Then he asked him if he was sure of that. When the groom replied that he was totally sure, Bachanan replied:
«Perhaps what happens is that you are very different from me,” he said. “I’ll tell you why. There’s a part of me that is generous, trustworthy, responsible. . . But there is another, perhaps larger one, that is lazy, lustful, ambitious. . . Which of those two parts do you want to be true to?»
That is a very good question, Mark Buchanan! Very good because it acknowledges the reality of human nature, and because it accepts, as the apostle Paul did centuries ago, «that evil is present with me» (Romans 7:21); in other words, that there is a permanent struggle in the human heart between good and evil; and that, in the end, «the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice» (v, 19).
What is the solution to this dilemma? The solution, writes Buchanan, lies in deciding that I will not be true to myself, but to God (emphasis added). Here is where today’s verse comes into play, because when we decide to be faithful to God, we discover that we cannot accomplish it without His help; but, we can do all things with His power because He is a faithful God, «who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him» (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Now, let’s be very careful! I am not saying here that I will not be true to my convictions, to my principles. No. What I am saying here is that, between being true to myself and being faithful to God, I prefer being faithful to God, because I’m weak and my heart is deceitful, but my God is «merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth» (Exodus 34:6). What more could I ask for?
Heavenly Father, I surrender my life to You right now. Help me to believe that «Your faithfulness endures forever» (Psalm 117:2, NIV).
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate