June 12 - Less Than Perfect

I know we aren’t ever supposed to admit this but I’m just going to put it out there – I’m judgemental.  I’m not proud of it, not at all, and I have huge admiration for those who are generous of spirit and graceful in character.  But that’s not me.  So it’s not surprising really that I was heaping judgement about the Israelites in 2 Kings chapter 23 this week.  In this chapter King Josiah is a wonderful King committed, the Bible tells us, “to follow[ing] the LORD and keep[ing] his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul” (v3).  And part of that meant cleaning up the mess of idol worship and dualism the nation had got itself in.  Here’s just a few examples –

He had to “bring out of the temple all the objects made for the false gods Baal and Asherah and for all the stars of heaven” (v 4).  “He broke down the small rooms in the Lord’s house that were used by the men who sold the use of their bodies for their false gods.” (v 7) and “The king made Topheth unclean, which is in the valley of the sons of Hinnom. He did this so no one might give his son or daughter there as a burnt gift to the false god Molech.” (v 10).

All I could think was ‘how could they?!’  How could they have become so compromised that they would even consider sharing God’s temple with idols and worshiping through the use of prostitutes?   How far from God were they that they thought it a gift to burn their children?  They had to be crazy people, loose with the facts and ignorant to boot.

Or so said my natural, judgemental nature.  But as I thought more on this I started to wonder if they are so different from me.  What might I have allowed to sneak into my life (the place God calls his new temple)? What things might I be bringing into my life, asking the Holy Spirit to share space with? What sinful diversions or thoughts which are detestable to God do I have?  What other things do I worship?

I guess one of the things about being judgmental is that it comes from a place which assumes I am perfect and looks at others as flawed.  But that’s far from true, isn’t it?  I don’t want to be like the Israelites, I don’t want to be so offensive to God.  But I need to realise, today, that without Christ, I am.  And without the Holy Spirit I can never hope to be any different.  Thank God therefore for God!