So, my devotion today was from Slice of Infinity.

I’m going to try to digest this before I have some breakfast to literally digest.  Here are the sentences that jumped at me.

“‘I’m only human,’ is a plea for leniency with regards shortcoming.” 
“Thus, the great paradox of humanity can be rightly acknowledged: we find in being human both a deep and sacred honor and yet a profound disgrace.”

 The article is entitled, “Only Human,”  addressing the universal mindset that ‘to err is human.’   Humanity, many times, is that disclaimer we use in every day vernacular to excuse ourselves from the small misgivings to the very serious accusations.  Our humanity gives us unspoken rights to misspell simple words, forget to accomplish tasks, cheat on our spouse, or murder innocent people, etc. Like what Jill Caratini said, it’s like a “plea for leniency.”

But the article also goes to expound that the thinking of humanity is diametrically exposed to very brilliant abilities.  Being human has invented uses for electricity, found mathmetical equations that has brought people to the moon, has gone to study all the intricacies of the human body and how each part has an homeostatic environment to preserve life.  Sometimes, we forget that ‘being human’ isn’t always an excuse, but an enormous blessing, with enough potential to be great.

I’m understanding that the article isn’t giving us the thumbs up on wearing shirts saying “I’m human” to remind fellow humans that we are imperfect.  The fault isn’t on being human in itself.  The fault lies in us thinking that is our sorry state, and bombastically judging everyone around us who would want to rise above it.  To be quite honest, I know of my own imperfections. If you point your finger and say I’m a sinner, I wouldn’t go about telling you you had four other fingers pointing at yourself. But I wouldn’t wear the Tshirt, folks.  To accept one’s humanity is to accept that you have shortcomings, but you also have free will, the same free will to cling to the One who is perfection.  If we can admit, thoroughly universally admit that we can have such a state as imperfection, then there has to be something to which contrasts, something we can compare ourselves to.  You cannot have the consciousness of being ‘imperfect’ without knowing there is a state of ‘perfection.’  In Deuteronomy 32:3-4, it says, “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”  Now that’s a Tshirt to consider wearing!!  Instead, we can boast of His greatness, His perfection, and genuinely believe His will for us is perfect.

So the fault isn’t on being human in itself.  The fault lies in us not putting our hope, our faith, and our incredible belief on God who is perfect, whose will is perfect.  The fault lies in wallowing in our sorry state, pleading for leniency instead of surrendering under God’s change.  We’re too content to sulk in our blanket of humanity so no one can point any fingers or expect greater things, expect holiness, expect living for God’s purpose.  

But humanity was never initially meant to be our excuse.  Humanity was supposed to be a gift, an incredible love relationship with the Father. Imagine?????  So before you go on to wearing your ‘Team Human’ shirt, and go on having the mindset that being human grants us an untouchable disclaimer, it may help to remember that being human is a gift to trust in Him who is perfect; being human is a gift.  We are loved and called to great things in His name and to an incredible love relationship with the Father. 

 

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source of my devotion:  http://www.rzim.org/resources/read/asliceofinfinity/todaysslice.aspx