Psalm 69:5-6: “God, you know my foolishness, and my guilty acts are not hidden from you. Do not let those who put their hope in you be disgraced because of me, Lord God of Armies; do not let those who seek you be humiliated because of me, God of Israel.” [Christian Standard Bible {CSB}]
I am 70 years old. I have been saved since I was 26. I have been in ministry since 1985, and have been pastoring full time these last years. I still do foolish things. I thought as I “aged,” I would also “mature.” And I have, but, I still do foolish things. I recently had to amend a personal Facebook post after someone I trust pointed out to me that it contained the very rhetoric that I was speaking against.
I aim for higher things, but my aim isn’t always true. I react, I speak before I listen to the Holy Spirit. I do things without consulting Him. I pass judgment before I hear all the facts. I display my foolishness instead of His grace.
I must admit I am human, not as an excuse, but as an acknowledgement that I need the Lord to continue His work in my mind and heart. I will not reach perfection this side of the grave. I take comfort in knowing, however, that God understands my weaknesses and my desires to be more like Him, and will reveal those things in me that must change.
While I am learning and growing in Christ, my fervent pray is like that of David in Psalm 69… “Father, may my foolishness not reflect on others who love the Lord, or bring dishonor to Your Son’s Name. Amen.”