There’s an old story about a husband who was very sick and in the hospital. He had been slipping in and out of a coma for several months and yet his faithful wife had stayed by his bedside every day. One day, he woke up and whispered to her, “You have been with me through all the bad times. When I got fired, you were there to support me. When my business failed, you were there. When we lost the house and my health started failing, you were still by my side ….You know what?” “What dear?” she gently asked. “I think you’re bad luck.”
Human beings have an amazing capacity to shift the blame, play the victim, and generally think of themselves as beyond reproach. And yet, the older I get the more I’m convinced the primary sign of maturity in a person’s life is the ability to acknowledge their weaknesses and mistakes, apologize when necessary, and take responsibility for their actions and attitudes.
In this New Year, I pray we all remember that our power as disciples never comes from personal perfection, but from the perfect love of Jesus Christ. It remains our job to humbly share that love with the world.