“The Right Reasons”
The shows “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” are interesting studies of people. Sometimes men or women on the shows are chided for not being there for “the right reasons,” because their interest is not in the guy or girl but rather in being recognizable for business promotion or to get dates off of the show. Oftentimes, other contestants will slip the person’s confession to the object of supposed interest, who then usually bumps them off the show.
Sometimes it’s hard enough to do the right thing, much less for the right reasons. We’re aware of the standard and want to be motivated to be excellent, but there’s a gap between what we want to be and where we’re at. We get frustrated when we don’t have the wisdom or willpower to improve. In The Discipline of Grace, Jerry Bridges recommends preaching the gospel to yourself, reminding yourself on a daily basis who God is and who you are, and of the need for grace. It’s not up to me to close the gap and rid myself of the frustration (and God’s frustration with me).
Romans 3:19-26 tells us that any righteousness that we have is from God, and that’s what matters. When we remember the gospel and our need in humility, it allows us to approach life and relationships with joy and peace, knowing God won’t be mad at us if we mess it up.
