Contradictions will be.

     We are contradictions with the presentations we give every day of our lives.  It's not that we start the day declaring that we are going to be a contradiction.  In fact for the most part we won't even be aware of the contradiction until after the fact.  Some of the contradictions will not even be noted as they fly below the radar.  We need to acknowledge that others may spot the contradiction before we have knowledge of our behavior being just that.  As we approach this area of our lives we are daily reminded that no one is perfect and no one is immune to living a life with contradictions.
     We give names to that which we do.  We call others "two faced," "fake," and many other such labels.  Oh, that's right, we aren't supposed to label others.  Labeling has been around since the beginning of time.  Peewee Herman said it best; "I know you are but what am I?"  We have a much easier time labelling others than we do in acknowledging the truth about ourselves.  Deflecting the negative by being on the offensive is a game rule that we learn throughout our lives.  The deeper the hole we are in, the more we deflect.  Not exactly an appropriate way to live life.  We are contradictions though so what else should we expect?
     This is the central issue with our living amongst others.  We are competitive with others where we need not be.  In fact, competitiveness should not be with anyone else.  We can be competitive with ourselves and that's okay if it's done in a positive manner.  In this world of denial, excusing, and blaming, we just dig our hole deeper when we don't change.  We argue that she/he is worse than I am in order to see ourselves better and thus acceptable.  When our blaming (labelling) is high, we are most certainly hiding more of our life.  One crucial element is missing for many and elusive to many more.  Very few have a mirror to accurately reflect our lives in such a manner that we are able to acknowledge and address that which is in contradiction within our beliefs. 
     There are many books "out there" that extolls the greatness that we are.  We needn't continue this past time of telling ourselves how good we are.  The world we live in seems to feed that desire very well on its own.  So, what's the problem and what's the solution?  The problem is we are so focused on ourselves that we are unable or unwilling to stop focusing on other people and their bigger problems.  "Compared to so and so, I'm doing great."  Hence we should be about the business of fixing that other person.  The solution is both simple in concept and difficult in nature.  Here it is:  God.
     God is the answer in more ways than we can count.  However, today we will look only as far as he is involved in our lives.  Today we will focus on how much we ARE NOT like Jesus and understand the problem that we are to our world.  "In His Steps" by Sheldon takes this very task to heart in his characters in the book.  The questions is begged for us to ask ourselves in every particular part of life; "What would Jesus do." After we see that which he would do; we are asked to do it.  No blaming, no deflecting, not anything but Jesus.  Not just in our lives but in the lives of those connected to us.  Should we take action on doing what Jesus wants we won't have time or the energy to be examining the lives and motives of others. 
     I've had many people over the years tell me that this or that is wrong in my life.  Sometimes they were right.  At other times they were not willing to examine themselves.  Today, God is asking us to just do that one thing; do what Jesus would do, give others the grace God has given us, and remember to confine ourselves to doing what Jesus would do.  Would Jesus say what we say about so and so?  Would Jesus pass by the one in need and do nothing?  Just what would our immediate world look like if we were to just do these simple things?  What would the world think?  If we focus on what would Jesus do; there would be no wondering what the world thinks.
     "Why?"  Why would we not be concerned about what the world thinks.  Because we live for Christ and not for the world.  If we are to trust God with our lives and abandon ourselves to him; we would spend our time confessing and changing into the person of God he intends us to be. 
     God, today, asks us to be more like Jesus and bring Jesus to the world around us.  He asks us to be the only Bible that some people will read.  We are commissioned to be and do what Jesus would be and do with all who are around us.  Christians need to be saved as well as others.  So, go out there today and be Jesus to others.  There is no contradiction in Christ and there should be none with me.