Things I am learning...

Well, we are still on the "church search" and haven't committed to one specific church body here yet.  But, isn't God so good?  He still gives me nuggets of truth every time we attend church.  Even if that church is not meant to be our home, He is still using the process of the search to challenge me and reveal Himself to me.  I heard something really great this morning in Sunday School. 

The funny thing is, I've heard this verse hundreds of times - and never picked up on this SIMPLE truth - I must be the most dense Christian out there! 

The original verse is Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

Then it is repeated several times throughout the New Testament:
 Romans 4:3 (actually it is quoted several times in the book of Romans alone)
Galatians 3:6
James 2:23

So here is what I got from that.  Believing God = righteousness.  Faith is righteousness.  If faith is righteousness, you can logically deduce that other things are not righteousness.
For Example: 
1) Being a good person
2) Good works
3) Going to church
4) Obeying the speed limit

The only thing God lists here (and apparently Paul and James thought that this was a pretty important point, else they would not have repeated it over and over!) is faith.  Or believing Him. 

For someone who struggles with self-righteousness, (the older-brother syndrome, as I like to call it,) - this is very freeing and eye-opening.  I also wonder how much pride has been getting in the way of me actually understanding this scripture.  I mean, seriously - it is not THAT complex, but for some reason, it took the 5,397th time hearing it for me to finally click on what God is teaching me here. 

It doesn't matter how "good" I strive to be.  I can try all day long to be loving and kind, a good wife and mother and friend - that is all okay - certainly it is a worthy goal to try and do those things, but those things do not make me righteous.  Believing God, having faith, those are the things that are credited as righteousness. 

Thoughts?  Any verses that have come alive to you over the last week?  Let me know, I'd love to hear what God is teaching you!