It's So Easy

It's so easy to convince myself
that I have arrived.
It's so easy to swindle myself into believing
that I am righteous.
It's so easy to calm my conscience
by recasting my own history.
It's so easy to make myself feel better
by measuring myself by somebody else.
It's so easy to persuade myself
that my way is the best way.
It's so easy to think
that I'm serving You when I'm really serving me.
It's so easy to judge others
who fail to do what I'm not doing either.
It's so easy to daily hunt
for what I've already been given in Christ.
It's so easy to be more concerned
about the sin of someone else than I am my own.
It's so easy to withhold grace
while I am being showered with grace.
It's so easy to think
that I know more than I know.
It's so easy to fretfully forget
that you are ever with me.
It's so easy to love the world
more than I have loved You.
It's so easy to enthrone myself
in the center of my world.
It's so easy to view myself as poor
when grace has made me rich.
It's so easy to talk myself into feeling okay
about what You say is wrong.
It's so easy to forget
how fundamentally needy I am.
Because these things are so
Natural
Instinctive
Frequent
Common
Normal
Spontaneous
Easy.
There is not a
Situation
Location
Relationship
Circumstance
Moment
where I am free of needing You.
I live in constant need of
the rescue of your grace.
I am so thankful
that your grace is never stronger
than in those moments of
weakness when dangerous things
are all too easy.

~ Re-posted from Paul Tripp's blog