The Liar Scale

Garfield is amusing; we relate so much to his cat antics. I know I do. He’s the orange tabby who hates Mondays, loves lasagna and in this image here, yells at the scale. C’mon, you’ve done it; I’ve done it. It may be a silent scream, but nevertheless, we want to give that measurement device a major “what for!”

And so, like Garfield, yes, we are, standing on that scale, feeling some form of heightened feeling. Things, indeed, are not emotionless, are they? For most of us, that little number reading affects our mental state and entire day.

Let’s be honest about that. Nope. We are not unaffected by the scale. We measure and assess constantly, judging ourselves, others, the vague concepts of success and failure, all while doing what, exactly?

We’re envying and self-seeking, aren’t we?

“For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”
James 3:16

Lovely.

But before we give ourselves over to complete despair, let’s remember there’s a better Truth to that destructive lie: God and how He measures His love and His estimation of us:

“Since you were precious in my sight… I have loved you…”
Isaiah 43:4

It’s not about our imperfect measuring process; it’s about God’s decision to love us, in spite of us, in spite of our perfection. And then on top of everything, He decided to DO something about it!

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16

There is never any mention in scripture about God loving us at a certain weight; there’s no “thou shalt weigh” commandment. But there is God’s Promise of love for us. And nothing can out-measure, separate or cancel that love.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39

And another thing: God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

That’s powerful, because, yet again, it reminds us of the power of our chosen focus.

Is it on Truth? Or is it on a lie?

Is a number on a scale, a reading or a measurement, in fact, “exalting itself” against God’s Word?

“Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
2 Corinthians 10:5

We need perspective; we need to remember we aren’t alive- or hopeless- because of a number on a scale. We’re called to live a life better than that. We’re called to live for God and for the blessed calling He’s given to each one of us.

Let’s get off that confining scale and get on with abundant life!

“The thief comes not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
John 10:10