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Key Bible Verse: Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? (Psalm 130:3). Bonus Reading: Psalm 32:1–6

In his early 20s, Alan Baker, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was an ensign on a small ship, biding his time as a navigator and planning a career in law. As part of his duties, Baker counseled shipmates about drug and alcohol issues. The destroyer squadron chaplain came aboard to check on Baker's progress.

When the chaplain asked Baker how many people he'd counseled, Baker inflated the figures. "I didn't want the command to look bad. But as soon as I said it, I thought: You lied and you lied to the chaplain. It just showed how far I'd go to make myself look good," he recalls.

"I felt guilty. I'm an Eagle Scout, a Naval Academy graduate who's not supposed to cheat, lie, or steal. On the other hand, I'm not the person that I expect to be, that others expect me to be. It bothered me a long time."

More problems cropped up months later after Baker married. "When we would fight in the first couple of months, she'd say, 'We need to pray about this.' And I'd say, 'That's the last thing I'm going to do.' To me, when you have an argument, you argue all the way. There's going to be a winner, and by golly I'll be the winner." [continued 5/6]

—Adam Piore in Christianity Today

My Response: Have I lived up to my own standards? How does that make me feel?

Thought to Apply: One of the first things for which we have to pray is a true insight into our condition. —Olive Wyon (British writer)

Adapted from Christianity Today (4/23) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

God, You sent Your Son because mankind needed rescuing. I'm ready to admit that I'm no exception, and ask You to take charge of my life.

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