John McCain died today, and the news has been, properly, honoring and remembering him and his incredible life. It’s made me think about how ‘good’ we can be if we choose to do so. Senator McCain was far from perfect. He endured a failed marriage and more than a few infidelities along his way to growing into the ‘mentor of character’ so many attribute to him today.

We are choosing, now, to remember the ‘best’ of John McCain. We are choosing to look at his real accomplishments, not his failures or shortcomings. His differences with his political colleagues, his notable temper, whatever else the smear-mags could dig up….none of that is what has defined him. It’s been his character. His life-long service. His devotion to family and country. His goodness!

Perhaps we could be encouraged by this man’s life. Perhaps we could see that we too have failures and shortcomings, but that our Father in Heaven, God Almighty, through Jesus Christ and by the Power of His Holy Spirit, looks at ‘our’ character through a crimson lens, the blood of Jesus. He ‘sees’ us as cleansed and pure and righteous and holy….all the things we would never claim. God sees goodness.

The Lord looks at our heart, so see if we are repentant, humbled by our mistakes, and seeking that grace called forgiveness that He so freely offers us. My human nature is to defend myself; to try to say that I’m right because of how I feel and think. But when the I AM shows up everything is put right, including me. Can you see it? Can you see how the puny “I’m” has to give way to the majestic I AM ?

As we honor John McCain, looking beyond his human weaknesses, let us honor God, and look straight into His incredible strength, and hear Him tell us again “I love you, and I will never leave you.”