Nothing to Prove

​A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, July 23rd, 2023:
The Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Wisdom
12.13, 16-19

There is no god besides you, Lord,
whose care is for all people,
to whom you should prove that you have not judged unjustly.

For your strength is the source of righteousness,
and your sovereignty over all causes you to spare all.
For you show your strength
when people doubt the completeness of your power,
and you rebuke any insolence among those who know it.
Although you are sovereign in strength,
you judge with mildness,
and with great forbearance you govern us;
for you have power to act whenever you choose.

Through such works you have taught your people
that the righteous must be kind,
and you have filled your children with good hope,
because you give repentance for sins.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Ahh … to release all the judgment to Him is to lift a weight from my shoulders. 

It’s a bit laughable that I could even think that my judgment would matter more than His, that it could even compare to His, that it is even anywhere near as merciful as His. To be honest, I judge myself more harshly than anyone else, and it would probably do me good to immerse myself in God’s mercy a little more. 

To immerse myself in this verse is to let go to the kingship, the leadership, the first-ness of God and to release me to the good and gentle care of my own soul and into the inspiration which flows from that.

It’s a fine balance between discipline and mercy, the “not letting myself off the hook” versus giving myself a break when I need it. It’s radical honesty, with myself and with others. A friend of mine said, in the middle of a conversation the other night, that she noticed she was all of a sudden feeling anxious. I thought, how remarkable, how mindful, how important that she said it out loud, gave herself the space to feel it, simultaneously giving me permission to be honest about whatever I was feeling. This is God’s mercy at its finest – accountability, honesty, and space.

It reminds me of a verse I noted a long time ago in my Bible – Matthew 5:37 – “Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.”  Holding ourselves and each other accountable is necessary and merciful – but Lord, lest we remember Your sovereign mercy, we meet with certain disaster in relationship. 

It’s no simple task, balancing humility and righteousness, accountability and mercy, expectation and freedom. So much wisdom and intentionality is required to navigate these subtleties, and I am so grateful for all those who model this in my life and hold me accountable in this way. 

Lord God, You are the source of everything. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Thank you for this reminder that You are sovereign and that Your defining quality is mercy. If we know Your heart, we know that You are righteous and expect the same of us – but we also know that Your desire is not for destruction or death. Remind us daily of how You would have us move in the world, and help us to be accountable to You and, therefore, to ourselves and others. Amen.



Lindsay Elford

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