9.1.23 - Psalm 7:3-5
When faced with consequences, how can you determine whether they are truthful and equitable, and what steps can you take to accept them in a way that promotes personal growth?
O God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause, then let the enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust.
We’ve all done things that are unjust. Sometimes they are calculated, sometimes they are accidental.
Being held accountable is an opportunity for change. That’s what I think this Psalm is about. It’s about the consequences of our experiences.
For change to happen, there has to be a consequence. This can be positive or negative. Often, the hardest lessons come from our mistakes and our shortsightedness.
Accepting appropriate consequences begins a path of change. We can ask ourselves:
Is this consequence truthful? Is it fair and equitable? What is my role in restoration? Where is there an opportunity for growth?
Only in this reflection can we begin to find a next best path. Learning from our mistakes helps us act with a greater sense of justice and equity.
Where are you being called to be appropriately held accountable? How might you respond in ways that foster growth over resentment?
--Calista Silva