Weighed in the Balance and Found Wanting

Johnny Cash sings it best, but the original words and fascinating story can be found in Daniel chapter 5 . If you haven’t heard Cash sing “Belshazzar,” you won’t want to miss the the song above.Tekel is one of the inscriptions written on the wall in King Belshazzar’s banquet hall. “You’ve been weighed in the balance and found wanting,” explains the prophet Daniel, who has been called in to interpret God’s handwriting on the wall for the wicked ruler of Babylon, Belshazzar. This grandson of Nebuchadnezzar did things like defile the Jewish temple, have drunken orgies, and worship the gods of silver and gold.

I may not have been doing any of those particular things lately, but certainly in some ways I have not honored God in all things. In Daniel 5:23, Daniel says to Belshazzar: “But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.”

While I don’t advocate Christians beating themselves up over their shortcomings, I do strongly believe in taking inventory of your life. As Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” We don’t need to look for handwriting on the wall because we have the Holy Spirit residing within us to convict us of sin. So ask. Where have I been weighed and found wanting? I’ve been examining, and I’ve given myself a report card in some “subjects” that I’ve deemed critical to my family life and my walk with God. I don’t mind sharing how I scored:

Relationship with God - B
Relationship with Husband - B+
Relationship with Children - B
Keeping a Pleasant Home - B-
Feeding my Family Healthy Meals - C
Educating my Chidren - B
Relationship with the Body of Christ - B-

I’m used to being a straight A student, so this doesn’t look pretty to me! I won’t go into all the details of why I graded myself with those particular letters, but overall, my deficiencies have to do with being undisciplined, unorganized, quick to anger, and just messy. But folks! Unless we really take the time to sift through all the areas of our lives, and be willing to be honest, and be willing to make changes, we will never grow.

I have stepped on the scale, have not measured up to God’s standards, and unless I do something about it (which Belshazzar did not), I’m in trouble. This doesn’t have to be an exercise in just wallowing in the muck. I see this as a very positive operation - the point is to set some new goals, and through prayer, discipline, and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit, advance.

The next time I I step on the scale, I hope to find a more favorable balance. :-)