where waves grow sweet

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8

I remember being told that when bank tellers are trained, they become so intimately familiar with the feel of real currency through the intentional handling of legit bills that they are able to recognize the feel of a counterfeit bill. I have no idea if this is true, but it’s a great example. If you think about it, there are many ways and materials by which fake money can be produced and it would follow that each would feel slightly different. Yet there is one way to produce the real thing and every bill will always be the same. So it makes sense that the surest way to identify the countless things that don’t belong is to recognize what does belong.

A friend and I have both struggled with self-condemnation and perfectionism, wanting so desperately to please God and feeling a persistent sense of failure. We have both come far, but not to the point of the issue being found only in our personal history books. During a prayer time together today, the above verse came to mind, expanded in my heart, and became so suddenly clear to me.

We were never called to focus on our sin. To acknowledge it, yes. To receive forgiveness and turn from it, absolutely. But to fix our eyes there is like trying to learn every single form of counterfeit money. There will never be an end because it will always pop up in some new form. Talk about an overwhelming task and persistent sense of failure.

Instead, we were called to focus on what God says is true about us. It is simple, genuine, and unchanging. As we set our minds to the intentional handling of the truth based on the authority of God himself, we will be able to recognize it as authentic. It will become so familiar, that any thought or action that is not from our new nature will be exposed for the counterfeit it is. Not only will we learn to reject it, but will become so confident that we call the cops and have the lie hauled in. Best of all, there will be joy because we are becoming people who recognize the truth and know our value.