God knows we will all fall short, yet we strive to attain the goals we set out for ourselves. If we limit our goals, we might miss out on what God has in mind for us. The psalmist, David, wants to achieve his goal of being in the presence of God. He asks and answers the question “Who is good enough to worship and enter into God’s presence?”
What exactly is the blameless life God hopes we live? Is there any chance we can pull it off? What sorts of things do we need to change to reach these standards? I like Google’s AI definition of a blameless life. “A blameless life is a life characterized by integrity, innocence, and a lack of wrongdoing, where actions and words are consistent, free from guilt and deceit, and aligned with God’s will.” The psalmist gives us some specifics.
When we look at our attitudes and motivations, we may find we have some work to do. And that’s okay. Being able to realize what improvements we can make is the first step toward living a blameless life. God’s desire for us is to be more Christ-like, and these descriptions certainly fit that ideal. Which do you need to be more intentional about?
Gossip seems to be a hot topic these days. People seem to take delight in talking about other people, taking things out of context, and spreading information that is fake or unrealistic. Unfortunately, gossip can take on a life of its own, leading to hurt feelings, broken friendships, or estranged families. God’s ideal would be unity, with everyone caring for one another.
David’s message also encourages us to be bold in our faith and speak out when we see sinfulness. The blameless will “despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts.” We are all sinners, but when we see others willfully sinning, it should move us into action. It’s usually not popular to expose the darkness.
In Proverbs 8:13, the wisdom is this: “All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.” As followers of Christ, we know to fear and honor God. Apparently, we will also hate evil. Notice we hate the problem, the evil in the world. We don’t hate the person causing the problem. In Jesus’ words, “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” That wisdom seems to fit nicely with the psalmist’s lament.
The final part of David’s wisdom involves handling money. How we use our money is also a reflection on God. Do we honor God with our spending, or are we serving ourselves? Are we giving charitably or hoarding selfishly? In our day, loans come mostly from banking institutions that charge interest. David’s wisdom about loans speaks to the generosity of our hearts.
To live a blameless life draws us closer to God. Becoming more like Jesus should be our ultimate goal. We will still fall short, but we have a perfect model to follow, to trust, and to love.
Let’s pray. Father, your goodness astounds me. You have always wanted what’s best for your children. Thank you for the example you set in Jesus. Help me to be more like him, showing love to my neighbors. Give me your eyes to see the needs you want me to help supply. In Jesus’ name. Amen
