Psalm 73 (as translated by me)

I know that God blesses His faithful followers,
the people who have been justified in Christ Jesus.
But sometimes I think – What if…?
if… I wasn’t a Christian – I could have all that stuff.
Other people, people who aren’t Christians, have such excesses – it seems wasteful.

They are so pretty – no grey hair
or cellulite or black heads.
Life seems somehow charmed
or they can afford to sweeten it.
But keeping up appearances can be suffocating
and it’s easy to get angry about little things.
The abundance of stuff makes them greedy,
at the same time as being useless and empty.
They pretend that they know everything,
and belittle (or fire) you if you don’t agree.
They assume they know better than God
and their gossip is heard far and wide.

And so others emulate them,
consider them flawless human beings.
They say the bible isn’t relevant to the 21st century,
the people who wrote it lived too long ago.
And so they continue on,
getting richer and doing whatever they please.
Why did I bother trying to live as a Christian,
denying self, giving time and money?
On television they taunt me with their perfection
beautiful people, important people.

If I decided to follow their attitude
I would have been a bad example to fellow believers.
The more I am taught about you
the more I can’t understand the why and how behind you.
And then you open my eyes, I understand a bit more of you.

You put them in challenging, slippery places,
then they fall and are ruined.
Overnight their image is destroyed,
dragged down by absolute folly.
They disappear like a bad dream – the more you
try to remember the stupider it seems.

When I was envious of them, trying to
ignore my conscience
I was being stupid and ignorant –
I had as much brain as a manikin.
And yet you still hold the hand of this silly plastic girl,
You point me in the right direction
and applaud me when I get there.
You’re the only reason I want to go to heaven,
And you’re the best thing here on earth.
My body is aging and my mind will not last,
but God is my forever.

You teach that those who aren’t Christians will fall.
You will justly deal with those who abuse you.
It is a good thing to be saved by grace,
I have chosen to live in God’s protection
And to tell others of your Son.

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