It's All About Me

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:12

So each of us will have to explain to God about the things we do. Romans 14:12 (ERV)

I looked through a few dozen translations trying to find one that more clearly conveyed this

verse in Romans from the King James. Amazingly, they were worded practically the same. Each

will give an account of himself to God when they leave this earth. Pretty basic. Pretty clear.

Pretty simple. We can plan on giving an account, an explanation to God for why we did, or

didn’t do what we were left here to do; why we did or didn’t live in the manner of what we

knew was right.

Something that has stood out to me over the years, especially through the current pandemic, is

how much we (the Church) concern ourselves with the sins of others. We wring our hands over

sister So And So and how she is living with her boyfriend and won’t even consider marriage.

How could the two of them possibly come to church every Sunday with their heads held high?

Then there’s brother What’s His Name. He was sitting at the bar with his friends at the same

Applebee’s you took your family to for dinner. He was really throwing them back! When he left,

he could barely walk to the door on his own. Yet, there he is! Right up there on the front pew!

We’re up nights worrying about our pastor’s kids, how unruly they are and he doesn’t take any

steps at all to reel them in and keep them in line. Doesn’t he know it’s up to him to set the

example for his congregation?

The Word of God is blatantly clear here. We will give an account of our own lives. Our behavior.

Our decisions. Our choices. We are commanded to pray for our sister, brother and pastor, but

judgment and accounting is fully between them and God. As Tony Evans so eloquently put it in

his Bible Commentary on this verse,

“He’ll be looking into your account. So don’t worry about your neighbor so much; keep a

better, closer eye on yourself. Get out of his business and tend to your own.”

As we continue to navigate through this silly little thing called life, let us strive to stay focused

on ourselves and be determined to accomplish everything our Lord left us here to do.

Prayer:

Father God, it is so tempting to focus on the lives of others; what they’re doing wrong and

where they need to make changes. Please help me to remember it’s all about me. Help me to

follow you, obey you and yield to you in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.