We are back in Malaysia now and I am loving it. It is wonderful to have to windows open, with the strong winds blowing through out apartment...the comfort of my own bed, my own sofa, my home. As I sit here, I am moved to praise God for being so abundantly generous and kind to me, far beyond what I deserve.
When we move from place to place, even if it is a short while, I tend to get down until I can create my comfort zone. This wasn't very clear to me until a few days ago. For quite some time I have been watching, listening to people and how the interact with others. Often I judge people in my mind...looking past my own short comings. When it comes to treating others better than myself, I really thought I was doing good. Yes, I realize this blog is sounding pretty vain...it's meant to...to make a point. God has done AMAZING things in this heart, but there is much work to be done still. He has made it easy for me to love, share and care for what society may call the lowest of the low...something I cherish. On the other hand, I find myself snubbing others who focus on things, actually justifying my behavior. Without really noticing it, I have started to become accustomed to things that are not necessary....putting them in the place of necessity when they are actually desires.
" If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
When we move from place to place, even if it is a short while, I tend to get down until I can create my comfort zone. This wasn't very clear to me until a few days ago. For quite some time I have been watching, listening to people and how the interact with others. Often I judge people in my mind...looking past my own short comings. When it comes to treating others better than myself, I really thought I was doing good. Yes, I realize this blog is sounding pretty vain...it's meant to...to make a point. God has done AMAZING things in this heart, but there is much work to be done still. He has made it easy for me to love, share and care for what society may call the lowest of the low...something I cherish. On the other hand, I find myself snubbing others who focus on things, actually justifying my behavior. Without really noticing it, I have started to become accustomed to things that are not necessary....putting them in the place of necessity when they are actually desires.
" If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Genesis 4:7
I am leading up to my thoughts on humility and authority. How do we have both? Where is the balance? If my driver doesn't come when I call, I get irritated...when I catch the maid in the corner talking on her phone instead of cleaning, I think she is waisting my money.....when a someone is served before me, when I was there first, I fume....when I am called an ugly American, I am appalled......where is the humility in that? At the same time, how many times do you tolerate a lack of respect? Doesn't the Bible speak of respect, unconditional love, humility and authority? Following Christ's example can be confusing and extremely difficult....that is when I try to do it on my own with out Him. Who am I to judge when I am guilty of the same sin? God doesn't allow us to see sin so we can judge others, its to point out what a gift we have in Jesus...to respond to that gift in a way that edifies, honors and glorifies Him. This means constant change in who we are, an active committed effort to abound in the grace, in the gifts He has given us.
" How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Luke 6:42
" yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live" 1 Corinthians 8:6
I do believe this is a process. Not to walk about beating myself up for my shortcomings, at the same time, not to fall so deep in the teaching of grace that it's all about me. Yes, God's grace forgives me when I am full of pride..at the same time His Spirit convicts me when I am grieving Him and He shows me they way I should walk and strengthens me to do so. I do fall short, we all do...and this has made more clear the importance of walking heart in heart with Christ. How are we to do the impossible when we are fighting a battle that is beyond our strength, beyond our grasp? I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. It is easy to get caught up in our own comfort, in ourselves...but life is much better when we walk the path God has for us.
I do believe this is a process. Not to walk about beating myself up for my shortcomings, at the same time, not to fall so deep in the teaching of grace that it's all about me. Yes, God's grace forgives me when I am full of pride..at the same time His Spirit convicts me when I am grieving Him and He shows me they way I should walk and strengthens me to do so. I do fall short, we all do...and this has made more clear the importance of walking heart in heart with Christ. How are we to do the impossible when we are fighting a battle that is beyond our strength, beyond our grasp? I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. It is easy to get caught up in our own comfort, in ourselves...but life is much better when we walk the path God has for us.
" though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:24
" There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
" There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12
" I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power." Ephesians 3:7
This mornings message was an affirmation of these thoughts...not sharing the whole thing, just a good chunk. If you want to read or listen to the whole thing, it can be found at www.desiringgod.org ...the message title is
"The Mind of Christ: Looking Out for the Interests of Others" based on Philippians 2:1-30
Humility and Its Source—The CrossAnd where does that other-oriented commitment come from? Verse 3 says, "In humility count others more significant than yourselves." It comes from humility. Literally: "lowliness." This is the great opposite of a sense of entitlement. Humility is the opposite of "You owe me." Paul said, "I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish" (Romans 1:14). In other words, they didn’t owe him. He owed them.
Why? Why do Christians walk through life feeling a humble sense that we owe service to people, rather than them owing us? The answer is that Christ loved us and died for us and forgave us and accepted us and justified us and gave us eternal life and made us heirs of the world when he owed us nothing. He treated us as worthy of his service, when we were not worthy of his service. He took thought not only for his own interests but for ours. He counted us as greater than himself: "Who is the greater," he said, "one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves" (Luke 22:27).
That is where our humility comes from. We feel overwhelmed by God’s grace: bygone grace in the cross and moment-by-moment arriving grace promised for our everlasting future. Christians are stunned into lowliness. Freely you have been served, freely serve.
So the crucial relational mark of the culture of our church should be Philippians 2:4: "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." This is the "mind" or the "mindset" that we should have in life together. This is the relational atmosphere where God will grant wisdom for the perplexing work of living in this world.
Humility and Its Source—The CrossAnd where does that other-oriented commitment come from? Verse 3 says, "In humility count others more significant than yourselves." It comes from humility. Literally: "lowliness." This is the great opposite of a sense of entitlement. Humility is the opposite of "You owe me." Paul said, "I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish" (Romans 1:14). In other words, they didn’t owe him. He owed them.
Why? Why do Christians walk through life feeling a humble sense that we owe service to people, rather than them owing us? The answer is that Christ loved us and died for us and forgave us and accepted us and justified us and gave us eternal life and made us heirs of the world when he owed us nothing. He treated us as worthy of his service, when we were not worthy of his service. He took thought not only for his own interests but for ours. He counted us as greater than himself: "Who is the greater," he said, "one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves" (Luke 22:27).
That is where our humility comes from. We feel overwhelmed by God’s grace: bygone grace in the cross and moment-by-moment arriving grace promised for our everlasting future. Christians are stunned into lowliness. Freely you have been served, freely serve.
So the crucial relational mark of the culture of our church should be Philippians 2:4: "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." This is the "mind" or the "mindset" that we should have in life together. This is the relational atmosphere where God will grant wisdom for the perplexing work of living in this world.
