God Does Not Work Like Chuck E. Cheese

“ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”
Philippians 3:9

 Righteousness as defined by the dictionary on my computer, is a noun, the quality of being morally right or justifiable.
       So wait, you mean to tell me that I can’t be righteous by my own strength? What is this? So you mean to tell me that all those volunteer hours I put into Children’s ministry, and all the time I spent making operation Christmas child show boxes and going around town feeding the homeless won't justify me or my mistakes?! Who came up with this rule?!
      It’s ridiculously hard for me personally to remember that my works, and acts of service are not what reconcile me to God.I can’t save up all of my servant time hours and then go to God and buy His Love or justify myself to Him, it doesn’t work that way.
      I’ve found myself countless of times hoping that if I just serve more people, or spend more time doing “godly” acts that it would in some way, shape or form grant me favor with God, or exalt me in His presence,and that is exactly the opposite of what He finds pleasing.
      Hebrews 6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith. It’s when I have faith in Him, when I trust that He is in control of my life and have hope in Who He is and what He has done for me, that I truly start to  be pleasing in His sight. It seems ironic and almost comical to me even as I’m typing this out, the very thing that I so many times place my hope in to bing me favor with God, is the thing that many times keeps me from it. When I’m relying on my works, I’m taking the faith I should be putting in God and placing it in me and what I can do, or accomplish... talk about twisted.
     Now don’t get me wrong, works are a good thing I think James says it best in verse 22 of his second chapter “ Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”. We can’t just stop at faith, if I had all the faith in the world but never used it to move the mountains that God has asked me to move then why have faith in the first place. Being active and engaged in the work of His Kingdom is not a bad thing at all. I just need to make sure I’m checking my motives and ensuring that when I do step out and do a work it’s been directed by my Faith in God and not being used as a way to get to God.

Application:
     Today when I serve or do a “godly” task I will pray that the spirit makes me sensitive and convict me the second my heart starts to lean on those actions to justify  me and my failures.