How firm are our principles? ...

Friday, March 4, 2011. Recently, there was a very well-known political figure in Germany, who had to step down from his duties. Several years ago he had written a PhD thesis, which turned out to be copied in many of its parts from sources he had not named in the thesis.

How firm are we with our principles? …

Of course, we can easily say that this guy was wrong and that we are much better. But I ask myself: how firm are my principles? Do I live according to what I believe? When I look honestly into my own life I realize that this is not the case with respect to a whole range of things …!

We could now look into more details. But perhaps it is not the most important thing to discuss details. If you search in your own life, you will probably find many things as well where you are far away from how things should be! We could also easily say: “Where is the problem? Nobody is perfect!” And continue the way we have lived before.

The question is: what is possible? Perhaps you realize how difficult it is to live according to our own principles. For example, “to be honest in all things to others and to myself”. How often do we interpret the reality in the light of our feelings. This might be too negative or too positive. Or “Do not judge others superficially”. How often do we have our opinion and express it in a small or large circle … and how often is it not adequate?

Go to the Lord …

I know only one thing which can really help to change the distance between our principles and our reality. It is the Lord himself, the eternal God. He knows us completely, that means he is completely realistic in his view. And he is truly good. He is fantastic. He lives according to extremely high standards. It is usually called “holiness” - his standards are much higher than we usually realize. But he has brought both together, the principles or standards and the reality.

In Jesus God has bridged the gap between our reality and his holiness. In the life and death of Jesus some miracle has happened: things which were far away from each other have come close.

When I go to the Lord with my life, I can find the peace I am looking for. I can bring the guilt of my life, the discrepancies between standards and reality, to him. At the cross, they are reconciled in Jesus.

Christian faith is something very practical. It is for today. It is for me and for you. ... more texts