Just like Judas?

Did you know that the Wednesday before Easter is referred to as #spywednesday in some religious cultures? It was a pretty bad day... Well, it was around this time during what we now call "Holy Week" that Judas Iscariot conspired against Jesus for selfish gain. He compromised his position with Christ (a great privilege) in order to claim worldly riches that he didn't even get to fully enjoy! We often harshly critique Judas for betraying our Savior the way he did...but today the Holy Spirit dealt with me on how I - like Judas - have at times chosen what benefited my flesh over Jesus too, even if I didn't go to the extreme like he did. Because it wasn't necessarily about the 30 pieces of silver Judas was after, but more about what was after Judas' heart that increasingly led him away from Christ...first inwardly and then outwardly...where everyone could see his betrayal. What has been after your heart that could be leading you away from Christ, even to the extent of clear betrayal (heresy)? That was the question I had to really ask myself today. It was a #soulcheck indeed. While I do strive to maintain my spiritual growth on a daily basis, I also realize that I'm human and open to being fallible just like Judas. So I'm glad the Holy Spirit frequently calls me to evaluate myself and repent for those private sins I find that's antagonistic to Christ. These are what I call "Peter" moments. Because Peter sinned against Christ too. But he responded with Godly sorrow. It takes humility to do this though. Pride is often what allows those little sins like lust, anger, greed, and arrogance to sneak in and stay. This is why it is really hard to be prideful AND positioned well with Christ too. Because you will fall away when you don't address what's after your heart. Our human frailty drives us to want to please our flesh but FAITH challenges us to be better than that. And we can be better... So, the question now is: what are the private sins in your life that can compromise your relationship with Christ? My prayer is that we all work hard to evaluate our progress as Christians if we claim to be following Christ. Otherwise, we'll be just like Judas.