It’s one of those big words. Easy to skip past it with a vague understanding like walking through a big crowd. You see a vague group of bodies, not individual human beings.
Let’s change that. Let me introduce you to “righteousness” so you get better acquainted. What does it mean?
Righteousness means 5-star reviews. As in reviews of you. Your life. Your decisions. Your productivity yesterday. Your parenting success. Your ability to care for the coworker who irritates you. How do you rate?
5 stars! Every. Single. Review. 5 stars. Nobody complains about the day you woke up with a bad attitude. Nobody nitpicks that 3 years ago you forgot to take your daughter to her piano lesson. Every review is raving! You are the best!
Righteousness means infinite likes. As in social media bliss. Let’s be honest, even if you post without any intent to gain approval through at least 1K likes, if it happens it makes your day! How many likes do you have?
Likes for your ideas about the best way to organize your garage. Likes for your pumpkin spice cookie recipe. Likes for how you dress, what you’ve done with your hair or the way you look in those jeans. Okay, that’s at least 3. Can you imagine the “thumbs up” icon blinking and exploding past 1K to 10K to 1M and it keeps going and going?! It’s not stopping! Infinite likes, not ever ending.
Righteousness means having what it takes. You have what it takes to be a single mom or a stepdad. You have what it takes to increase your giving to church and charity. You have what it takes to stay faithful to your marriage, or your singleness because it’s your calling from God.
How can you possibly have everything it takes for all that you’re supposed to do? Righteousness that isn’t your own.
The Apostle Paul says that he wants to “gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith” (Philippians 3:8,9).
So this is important. Yes, your have righteousness. Yes, it belongs to you personally. It is a gift from God with your name on it.
God gives you unlimited 5-star reviews. Be sure you’re monitoring them with more attention than the other reviews that do not define your righteousness (or lack of it). Those are lies.
God gives you infinite likes. Celebrate this! Feel good about the “thumbs up” about you, not thumbs down, not sad face.
God gives you what it takes, This means when you say “I am enough” and you make that claim as an independent being, it’s not true. You don’t have what it takes, on your own. But Jesus Christ gives you his righteousness which is enough.
How is this certain? It’s a promise of God that is yours by faith. So believe it!
PRAYER: Dear God, I’m excited about your 5-star reviews, infinite likes, and giving me what it takes. I love righteousness as your gift through Jesus. Now, please help me love it so much that I live it, too. Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Which explanation of righteousness is most meaningful to you? Explain it to a friend who needs Jesus. Share this blog with them.