Go ahead and look in the mirror.
You cannot trust that person.

You probably already know that.
Maybe you’ve been trying to deny it.

Jesus told the parable in Luke 18 to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt…(Luke 18:9)

Those two things—trusting in yourself and treating others with contempt —seem to always end up going together.

For if I credit myself, or think I can credit myself, I will eventually discredit others and treat them with contempt.

But God’s Word tells us, the righteousness of man cannot be earned but is a gift of God so that no one should boast (Eph 2:8-9).

The truth of our flesh is this —if we think we can attain righteousness, we will need to keep thinking we have earned it by continually comparing ourselves to others. And that’s exhausting and dangerous.

But when I turn my eyes to Christ, I have no response but that of the Prophet Isaiah, “And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5)

Woe is me except for Jesus.
Woe is you except for Jesus.
Woe is this world except for Jesus!

We should always remember we are simply beggars who found bread who are to tell other beggars where they can find the same. (Martin Luther)

Jesus.
Not the latest worldly solution.

We need Him every second. We need to wash our thoughts with truth from His Word daily. We need to keep our eyes on Him and remember hope is found no where else!

But the minute we start trusting our own righteousness, or that this world can somehow fix its own problems and attain righteousness by any other means, is the minute we get off track.

I will either start trusting myself and my own feelings over God’s Word, or I’ll look to this world for my guidance.

Either place is ripe for a failure and misery.

But when we turn our eyes to Jesus, when we daily seek to follow the only One who saves, when we take EVERY thought captive to the obedience of Christ, we walk in truth— not the flimsy, changing feelings of our own wayward hearts or this crazy world in which we live.

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (Eph 10:3-5)

“O soul are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free
Turn you eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there
Over us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conquerors we are
And turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
His word shall not fail you, He promised
Believe Him and all will be well
Then go to a world that is dying
His perfect salvation to tell
And turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace”
(Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus)