The most important thing about me!

A few months back I made a very detailed list of priorities. Things I wanted to do daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. Characteristics I asked the Lord to develop in me. You know practical things that I really just wanted to happen in my life to make me a better human being/ time manager/ friend/ daughter etc.

Today God reminded me of how useless all my priorities are if I am not sure of the most important thing about me. Through His wonderful words of comfort and truth, I couldn't be happier to say that the most important thing about me is that I am justified. Not that I am patient or pretty or dressed well or good at my job or a good friend or an excellent time manager ( which I am not haha).
It is that I am justified. The way I was taught in Jr.High was "just as if I've never sinned". You won't find that in any multivolume theology book or deep soteriology discussion, but I have carried it with me to this day.

Romans 5:1-6
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For jwhile we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."

By no means is this a comprehensive study, but these are just some things I noted this morning that brought satisfaction to my thirsty soul and joy throughout the day, despite my track record with Wednesdays..


1) Therefore, since we have been justified ( remember just as if I've never sinned; declared righteous in the eyes of God as Christ is our legal propitiation) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Christ Himself in MY peace.
2)Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace (unmerited favor) in which we stand ( not shrink back or shrivel up or get squished, we STAND before God righteous and before the world as a reflection of that Righteous Judge and Savior), and we rejoice( delight in, gladden or glory in) in hope (the hope of Heaven with Jesus, worshipping Him as He is) of the glory of God (eternal, not temporal).
3) Not only that, but we rejoice (delight in, gladden or glory in) in our sufferings (Think of Christ on the cross. He is our patter. 1 Peter 2:21-24), knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4) and endurance (again Christ as my example. He endured the cross despising the shame to ransom us from sins chains) produces character (these fruits of the spirit or imprints of Christ on us are only visible as we follow the Leader and walk in the pattern He has set for us), and character produces hope,
5) and hope does not put us to shame, (This is great news! but why doesn't this specific hope disappoint or shame us like most of the other "hopes" we try out?) because God's (unconditional, never gonna let you go) love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (but HOW is this possible?)
6) For while we were still weak (spiritually weak/ dead), at the right time ( all things are beautiful in God's timing!) Christ died for the ungodly (for me!!).

AW Towzer (whom I love) says, "The most important thing about a person is what comes into his mind when he thinks of God."
I've always loved that. But today I realized the most important thing about me is how God views me, because most of the time my thoughts are stupid..even when I am trying to think of God. But that He has declared me righteous, even while/when I was/am spiritually weak. That He gives me grace to stand through eternity and rejoice in that hope even now, knowing that He is up to good in me.
So thankful for the comfort of Gospel and its ability to both change my perspective for the day and keep my heart in check.