Your balance also reminds us of the positive tension that you desire in us: the remembrance of where we have come from (out of the dominion of darkness where we were condemned criminals before the court of Heaven, trapped in net of the enemy, in our natural depravity and in helplessness) and who we are in you (the beloved children of the King, brought into the Kingdom of Light, living in your love and grace).
In our natural selves we are sinful, rebellious, negative, selfish, unbelieving and destructive. But in you we are cleansed, forgiven, justified, equipped for special service, accepted, dearly loved, and delighted in.
Keeping both in mind means we are able to be truly humble—that is, seeing ourselves as you see us. Keeping both in mind protects us from being depressed in the negative and from being proud in the positive.
Only you could bring us to such a balance, lifting us from the level of natural thinking to heavenly seeing, from a self-centered viewpoint to a Christ-centered understanding.
You, Lord, are our wonderful God: High and Mighty, Wise and Wonderful, Pure and Powerful, Eternal and Excellent. In you all is brought together in marvelous balance. May we live there with you constantly.
Prayer: “I bow before you in worship, Lord; I rise up before you to obey. Help me to see myself as you see me: being your beloved son while being a sinner whom I can’t trust. Help me to trust you instead. May you be glorified in my life today as I live in this positive and constructive tension, resting in your love. Amen.”