Teach Me

I often "hear" myself saying in my mind, Lord, teach me to write, to speak, to listen, to lead. But it is only a slight show of humility. I ask to be taught then either go and do the thing in the same manner or I let my frustrated mind become distracted with other things.

Those prayers are good and proper requests but futile when uttered by one who has never honestly cried, Lord, teach me to pray and  then entered into the habit and practice of effectual and fervent prayer.

Don't Lose Your Sense of Humor

"If you lose your sense of humor on the way to Mars, you're finished."

Robert Zubrin

Living successfully requires a great deal of teamwork. Although we believers should be highly qualified to labor together as a unit, we too oftensuccumb to the natural tendencies of self-reliance.

Isn't it easier just to do things myself? If I trust someone else, they may drop the ball, do it wrong, differently, or possibly better than me. It is also much easier than dealing with conflict. I mean, what if we butt heads or just don't like each other?

Life doesn't work that way (and we know it). We are symbiotic creations. God designed us to be interdependent and social beings and we must learn to not only survive together but succeed together for the good of the kingdom.

Popular Science magazine quoted Robert Zubrin, author and president of "The Mars Society", as saying that extended mission astronauts had to be "tough, cheerful, and team spirited". We too are on an extended mission; and a much more valuable one at that. How much more important is it that we maintain our "sense of humor".

Toughness doesn't mean just enduring criticism and bottling up our emotions but is a willingness to work through difficulties in our relationships by forgiving, mending broken fellowship, and learning from and building on failures. Cheerfully content with what we can't change, not grumbling or sinking into depression but displaying the joy of our salvation. In our current culture "plays well with others" is on too few Christians' report card; how disappointing. May each of us, for the cause of Christ, take the initiative to learn the lessons of humility and unity.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal intrests, but also for the intrests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:3-5

Quotes

My sister brought this quote to my attention. What powerful truth it is!

'The gospel, applied to our hearts every day, frees us to be brutally honest with ourselves and with God., The assurance of His total forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ means we don't have to play defensive games anymore. We don't have to rationalize and excuse our sins. We can say we told a lie instead of exaggerated a bit. We can admit an unforgiving spirit instead of continuing to blame our parents for our emotional distress. We can call sin exactly what it is, regardless of how ugly and shameful it may be, because we know that Jesus bore that sin in His body on the cross. With the assurance of total forgiveness through Christ we have no reason to hide from our sins anymore.'
-Jerry Bridges The Discipline of Grace

Philippians 2:5-7

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as aman, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death on a cross.

Christ existing as 100% God and 100% man is difficult concept for my created mind to grasp. But compounding the issue is the statement that Christ did not consider His equality with God the Father as a thing to be clutched or held onto, but willingly set these privileges to the side, emptying Himself, in order to live in my shoes (or sandals) and face my temptations (Luke 4:1-13, Heb 4:15), so that He could legitimately die my death to pay my penalty for my sin. (Gal 3:13, Titus 2:14)

That is ultimate humility. And, I'm expected to have that mindset?!? Only by the grace of Him through whom all things are possible (Luke 18:27, John, 15:4, Phil 4:13)!