Fault Line

Truly it is an evil to be full of faults; but it is a still greater evil to be full of them and to be unwilling to recognize them, since that is to add the further fault of a voluntary illusion.  Blaise Pascal

Fault: a defect or imperfection; flaw; failing: responsibility for failure or a wrongful act: an error or mistake: a misdeed or transgression.

We are human and every one of us has fault lines. We also have different degrees of fault lines.  If I apply this to sin in my life, I find that I will have fault lines that cause tremors and then there are the full blown earthquake causing fault lines.  

If all of us know we have these fault lines why do we so often ignore them and pretend they don’t exist? 

In Romans 5:12 the Bible tells us “ Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. This verse doesn’t say some of us sinned or a few of us sinned.  It says “because all sinned”.  When Adam sinned death spread to all of us. 

I think one problem with our fault lines is we look at our own sin as minor and someone else’s sin and major.  When we finally figure out that our sin is equal to another person’s sin; that is when we start looking at other sinner’s differently.  We stop elevating ourselves above the other person because our perception of our sin is skewed.  We start to see the other person in a different light.  They are just like us.  Sinful.  When we look at each other that way we can then be empathetic to their plight because they are no different than we are.

It doesn’t matter whether your fault line is tremor or earthquake size; we will see others as equals if we understand their need for a Savior is as great as our own. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I praise You for Jesus Christ Your Son.  He came to this earth for one purpose and He fulfilled that purpose.  He died so that I might live.  Help me to look at other sinners as equals in need of a Savior.  Remind me of my own fault lines so that I don’t judge or compare my sin to theirs.  We are all equal in Your eyes.  You love each of us as if we were the only one. 

Scripture: Bear and Share the Burdens

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Galatians 6:1-5