Measuring Stick: Ten Feet Tall

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," (Col. 3:23 NIV)

In the quest for further freedom in the new year, my cry has been to the Lord, 'Unleash all the truth, no matter if it reflects the good-bad-ugly, so that I can surrender what weighs me down.  I want YOUR truth, Oh Lord.  Let my eyes see what you see." 

He made it very clear that I was His daughter and that He accepted me as I am.  Then...he pulled back the veil from my eyes.  I was holding a yellow stick, measuring ten feet tall, beside me.  It was the measuring stick I was using for myself, my appearance, my parenting, my time schedule, my efforts.  Perfection, towing far above my own abilities, was what I compared my daily everything.  I then saw myself pick up that stick and beat myself over the head with it.  Condemning myself for not reaching the standards set by my heart...not His heart.

This was a sad picture to realize all the wasted effort and emotion - measuring myself by man's standards and mine.  It was time for surrender.  What a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  Daily I am letting go of some long held unhealthy expectations of myself. 

The thought came to me.  How many of us let man, even ourselves, be our "master" in the daily trod of life?  Colossians 3:23 has been one of my favorite scriptures for some time, because of the first part of the verse.  My heart has been for years to apply excellence and worship to the Lord, even in the most minute details of servant hood. 

In the process, I picked up legalistic thinking of perfection.  The end of the verse has been in flashing neon for me in recent days.  I had become my master, and my endeavors always proved to be a big disappointment, since they were always falling short of the mark.

Lord, we want to put YOU and You alone on the throne.  You are a Master that loves us with tender care.  You created us and delight in our humanness.  Thank you for bringing a smile to our faces today by preparing a bonfire for our measuring sticks.  Amen