Undone

I said, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

Isaiah 6:5, NKJV

Isaiah was known as the messianic prophet because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory (John 12:41). He is the Old Testament prophet who is most often quoted in the New Testament.

Does it surprise you to hear that a prophet is a sinner, too? Isaiah was well aware of his sin, but he was chosen by God even though he had “unclean lips.” And God used Isaiah to convey His message of Christ’s coming and of His future glory. Isaiah’s “undone” state highlights God’s holiness and our shabbiness, and we can marvel and worship the Lord of hosts along with Isaiah.

Undone. I have not heard that word in a while, but here it is in God’s Word, making me pause to contemplate its meaning. It packs a lot of imagery, and it describes the way I feel when I start pushing for my own way in our home, thinking my way is best. I start to get irritated and bossy, and pretty soon I am a woman of unclean lips because I have self-righteously pointed out the sins of other members of my family. (Self-righteousness is not in the Lord’s wife-and-mother job description! Neither are irritability and bossiness.)

The undone state comes as the Holy Spirit convicts me of my unclean lips, because nothing about that kind of communication resembles the way Jesus modeled leading, guiding, and inspiring others to follow Him. I love Jesus Christ and want to please Him, yet I fail. This undone state brings brokenness to my spirit, which brings me back to Jesus and then leads me to praise Him for how He extends real love, forgiveness, and restoration to me.

What circumstances cause you to know you are undone spiritually? How does your “undoneness” impact your life and others around you? Thank Jesus that He restores you and doesn’t leave you undone.