humility

". . . in humility count others more significant than yourself . . ."
the stranger on the street, the cashier at the grocery store, your neighbor, your co-worker, that annoying guy at school, that smelly guy on the bus, my wife, my child . . . more significant than myself . . .
". . . look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others . . ."
I wonder what would change if I asked the cashier about her interests, instead of mindlessly standing their listening to the beeps of the scanner.
I wonder what would change if I showed interests in my neighbors life instead of telling them all about mine.
I wonder what would change if I focused on my wife's interests instead of expecting her to be focused on mine.
I wonder if what would change is that my life would begin to resemble Jesus' life and the people in my life would become drawn to Jesus, "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross."
Philippians 2:3-8

The trouble with blogging is, it all sounds so nice as words on a screen, but it is only powerful if I actually put it into action . . .

stop following the crowd

Verses for those of us who were raised in Christianity--those of us who, as the verses say, "learned Christ."  Many of us (myself included) seem to go along with the crowd.
Ephesians 4:17-24 (the message)
And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

But that's no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

May our lives be renewed from the inside out, and may we abandon the activities of the empty-headed, mindless crowd. That is no life for us--we have learned Christ!

selfishness

I am convinced that there is nothing compelling--nothing captivating--nothing beautiful about selfishness.

Tell me a story in which a character is in love with himself and makes great sacrifices to make himself happy, and I will walk away disappointed.  Show me a movie where a character overcomes conflict so she can walk away from her family to pursue her dreams, and I will walk away troubled.  Play me a song where a character desperately wants to amass wealth so he robs from the poor and needy, and I will walk away angry.  BUT tell me a story in which a character is in love with someone else and makes great sacrifices to make the other person happy, and I will walk away inspired.  Show me a movie where a character overcomes conflict so she can stay with her family, and I will walk away enriched.  Play me a song where a character desperately wants to give his wealth away to the poor and needy, and I will walk away incited.

And yet, the great lie of our age and every age, continually wins my allegiance--the lie that selfishness brings happiness / that my happiness is the number one priority / that my fulfillment trumps the fulfillment of others / that I am the center of the universe / that I deserve to be happy and fulfilled . . . however we choose to state it, tragically selfishness continues to garner my affection.

When I see selfishness modeled--I hate it.  When I take the time to examine my life and see my selfishness--I hate it.  I don't want to live that way--but how can I keep myself from sliding into that familiar pattern, popularized by Adam and Eve?

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. Psalm 119:9

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31


The lives that captivate us, the movies that enrich us, the books that inspire us, the songs that move us are consistently stories of love for God and love for others.  May I live out that kind of story today.

you have done all this evil . . .

"Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil.
Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty."
I Samuel 12:20-21

Sometimes you read the Bible and certain verses just jump off the page at you.  These are such verses.  They meet me right where I am.
I have done this evil (confession)
Yet (hope)
do not turn aside from following the Lord (renewed focus)
do not turn aside to empty things (renewed perspective)

There is hope for all of us.  We don't down-play our sin.  We have done this evil, but we simply need to confess our sin and believe in the hope we have in our Lord.  Renew our focus on him and maintain a Christ-centered perspective that will weed out all the empty things that tempt us.

strength in weakness

"The Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

God's grace is sufficient . . . His power is made perfect in weakness.

The process of shifting our perspective from power in strength to power in weakness is a life-long process. Perhaps that is why we endure weaknesses, insults, hardships, etc. our whole life long.  It is a process of embracing God's grace.

May I take one step closer to shifting my perspective today.  By God's grace may I catch a glimpse of my weakness and His strength.