I don’t know about you, but I spend a good portion of my day doing things that make me feel good about myself. For the most part I eat nutritious foods, not just to be healthy, but also to demonstrate that I am a healthy person. I have made walking a habit, again not just to be healthy, but to show myself and others that I have a healthy lifestyle. I try to be honest, giving, kind and temperate not just to get along with people, but also so that they think that I am a good person.
Even the good things that I do have some degree of self righteousness involved in my motives. I seem to think that I can show myself to be righteous regardless of my heart attitudes. The Bible clearly states that all my efforts to be righteous are just filthy rags. God is not impressed with my good works, done in my own strength, and largely done for my own glory.
God wants us to recognize that we cannot be righteous in our own schemes. He wants our hearts not just self righteous acts. Psalm 51:16-17 says, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
When we learn that we truly have nothing to offer God, but our broken hearts, then we are in a place where God will heal, deliver, and save us. If we cling to our self righteousness, He will not accept our offerings, no matter how good they appear to us or others.
Reluctant Retiree 