Behold Our God

You may have seen the recent news stories about revival at Asbury University. I hope and pray this is true revival and has lasting impact on all those involved. It reminded me of a similar event during my years at Bethel College (now University). We received word of revival experiences at other Christian colleges. A number of our students decided we would gather to pray for revival at Bethel. I won’t go into any details, but suffice it to say that the results were less than spectacular.

Here’s the thing—we can’t manufacture revival. We can hold “revival services,” we can pray for revival (and we should), we can play great worship music, but we can’t force God to do anything. There is a tendency among Christians to think that if we meet certain criteria, God is obligated to do what we want Him to do. For example, how many times has 2 Chronicles 7:14 been taken out of context:

“If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Certainly all churches should be pursuing humility, praying, seeking God, and repenting from sin. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll see a visible movement of the Spirit in changing the multitudes, nor does it mean that He will somehow convert our nation into a God-fearing country. What we do know is that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

There is a scene in the third episode of “AD: The Bible Continues” that really irked me, where the directors made it seem as though the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was solely due to the disciples praying the Lord’s Prayer over and over, louder and louder. God doesn’t come on command.

Are we truly humble if we think we have power to coerce God? He might be saying to us as He did to Job, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2). We don’t know how and when God will choose to work in our lives and the lives of those we love. We are responsible to pray for others and to share the truth in love when opportunities arise, but we have to trust that God will fulfill His own purposes for them and for us in His own good time.

Whether God will bring about life-change in a gathering that we would call a revival is entirely up to Him. Although it’s difficult to find statistics, I think it is safe to say that the majority of Christians were not converted through recognized revivals and awakenings. Most people come to faith through the everyday experiences of life, through encounters with faithful friends and family members praying for them and sharing the Gospel with them. God works in individual hearts and minds every day. This should be of great encouragement to us.

We don’t have to organize big events or get the conditions “just right” for the Holy Spirit to show up. As we follow the normal routine of obedience to God’s Word and guidance, we can trust that He is in control, present with us, and always at work. This is the God we love and serve, not one who comes at our command and obeys our wishes. “This God—His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).

“It will be said on that day, ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9).

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Check out this hymn from Sovereign Grace Music, “Behold Our God.”

 © 2023 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Before a Fall

It has become increasingly common for well-known pastors to make the news because of some questionable words or deeds. In some cases, it is secret sin that has been uncovered. In others it’s a series of poor choices that have resulted in people being hurt. Quite likely there has been some latent pride that created a lack of accountability and led to their downfall. Reputations have been tarnished, and Christians are left wondering whether they can trust anything that person has said or written during their career. I have books written by some of these men, and I have to weigh their value and decide if I’ll ever be able to read them again without being distracted by the author’s failures.

That’s not to say that failure outweighs every good thing a person has ever said or done. If that were the case, we’d all be in trouble. It is only by God’s grace that we have anything good to contribute to the Kingdom. The Apostle Peter had to be confronted for his hypocrisy (Galatians 2). The Apostle Paul was clear in stating his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) and his imperfection (Philippians 3:12). Paul warned, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

We see the results when people we have come to respect fail to live up to those high standards, but all of us are guilty of pride to one degree or another. A little bit of success or recognition and we may soon find ourselves thinking I did good, I am good. And if the success grows, those thoughts may turn into things like: I’ve got it all figured out. I don’t need any help or advice. No one can tell me what to do. They don’t understand the situation like I do. I can do what I want…

We often forget that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18 ESV). Pride creates its own blind spot. We may not see it because we don’t really want to see it. Life seems far simpler when we can pass judgment on others without ever seeing the sin in our own hearts. Pride can manifest itself in many ways. It doesn’t always show as seeking the limelight, patting yourself on the back, or taking credit for what others accomplish. It may be a subtle or even blatant disregard for the opinions of others because of their age, gender, race, education, employment, or other factors. It could be ingratitude for what others have done, finding fault with their efforts, or many other variations. Pride is frequently at the root of other sins.

Grace and gratitude are two potent weapons against pride and its offspring. Scripture reminds us that our salvation and sanctification is by grace alone, so we have no reason for boasting (Romans 11:6, Ephesians 2:1-10). We are all great sinners in need of a great Savior. If we have a proper view of God’s grace and mercy to us, it is easier to view others in the same light. And similarly, when we are grateful for God’s many blessings to us, we become more grateful for other people as well.

We often have to start with actions and pray that our attitude will follow suit. If I make an effort to find reasons to be grateful for the people who are irritating me, I start becoming more thankful and patient with them. Humility, forgiveness, and thankfulness are all interrelated, as Paul wrote in Colossians:

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (3:12-17).

We probably all need some work in the area of humility, lest we find ourselves stumbling over the pride in our hearts. Thankfully, God is more than willing to change us from the inside out if we will let Him do so.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:3, 12-13).

© 2020 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Unlikely Candidates

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1 ESV).

Reading Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on James, one section stopped me in my tracks:

“[Jesus] saw the potential in the lives of sinners. In Simon, He saw a rock. In Matthew, the publican, He saw a faithful disciple who would one day write one of the four gospels. The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the sinful woman at the well of Sychar, but Jesus saw in her an instrument for reaping a great harvest” (ch. 5).

I started wondering what He sees in some of the people we may tend to ignore or write off. That little boy who is so disruptive in Sunday school may one day be a pastor. That girl who doesn’t want to leave her mommy’s side may become a missionary in Africa. That young man who can’t seem to stay on the right side of the law may end up ministering to ex-cons.

Thinking about the people in my own church and denomination, there are a lot of people now in leadership positions who may once have been thought “irredeemable.” And if we’re being honest, all of us are unlikely candidates for belonging to the Body of Christ. We’re all sinners (not just in the past). We’re all broken and wounded by our own actions and the actions of others. Not one of us was saved because we’re such a great catch. God was never impressed by our credentials. But by grace He chose us and made us worthy and useful for His kingdom.

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world,” (news flash—that’s all of us!) “even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

We didn’t get here by our own abilities or ingenuity, and we can’t even guarantee we’ll be here another day. (How many of Israel’s kings fell because their pride got the best of them?) We are dependent on God for life, breath, strength, and the very ministry He has given each of us. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 1:7). That reality should make us grateful and humble servants.

As I look back at my own life, I would never have planned the route that brought me to where I am today, and I’m sure many other people would say the same. I give thanks for all the twists and turns, hills and valleys, bumps and bruises that God has used to put me right here right now. And I trust He’ll do the same in the future to get me wherever He can best put me to use for His glory.

“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15).

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© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Image © Dawn Rutan. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Insert Foot

The Christian news lately seems full of examples of questionable comments made by big-name pastors and leaders. (Here’s just one example.) Whether you agree with their theology or not, I have a problem with the forum and manner in which such comments have been made. In the pastoral epistles, Paul gave several instructions regarding the conduct of pastors/elders, deacons, and other leaders. Here are just a few:

• “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5 ESV).
• “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Tim. 2:8).
• “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wide, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach… Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace” (2 Tim. 3:2, 7a).
• “Set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12b).
• “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, young women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Tim. 5:1).
• “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Tim. 2:24-25a).
• “Remind them… to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:1-2).

Although we all make mistakes, those in the news lately have repeatedly failed to treat other Christians with courtesy and respect, and have offered no apologies. Those who are in the public eye should realize that every word they say will be scrutinized, but every Christian should be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19b-20).

What does it say to Christians when leaders publicly attack other Christians? 

I have no respect for you or your position… You aren’t worthy of respect… You are not my sister or brother in Christ… I don’t love you and I refuse to have a civil dialogue with you… You have no value in God’s kingdom…

What does it communicate to non-Christians? 

God may love you, but look out for everyone else… 

Why would someone want to align themselves with Christianity when the leaders who are thought to represent us are more interested in bickering over non-essentials and joking around in the “good ol’ boys” club?

Thankfully, there are a lot more Christians who are loving, kind, and gentle in their words and actions. They just aren’t the ones who make the news on a regular basis. My theology has been shaped—and even changed—by people who lovingly dialogue with me, but those who are harsh in their language only strengthen my resolve to disagree.

Gentleness and humility are perhaps the most ignored traits that Christians are supposed to exhibit. We’re far more adept at pride, dissension, and judgmental attitudes. The Apostle Paul reminded the believers in Ephesus:

“I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the body of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-2).

If we would all heed that instruction, imagine what it would do to our witness to a broken and hurting world. It might not make the news, but such love would draw people in like never before.

   

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly… A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit” (Proverbs 15:1-2, 4).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Two Examples

“Why was I born? Why is this happening? Is there any point to all this?” When his world fell apart, Job’s response was to wish he had never been born and to question why God was allowing all this suffering in his life. As he sat in misery in the ashes, Job kept running his mouth until God showed up (ch. 38-41). Only then did he realize his mistake and repent. Incidentally, many people take Job 2:10 out of context and say that Job never said anything that was wrong. “In all this Job did not sin with his lips” came before he started his complaints. If he had not sinned in his words, he would not have had to repent. His errors were not as blatant as those of his friends, but he mistakenly assumed he had the right to question God’s actions and motives. “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further… I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (40:4-5, 42:5-6 ESV).

In contrast to Job, consider the prophecies of Isaiah that were fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah:

“He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief… Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted… upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed… He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth” (53:2-7).

The differences between Job and Jesus are numerous.

• Job was surprised by suffering and thought he didn’t deserve it. Jesus knew what was coming and knew He didn’t deserve suffering, but He walked to the cross willingly (Matthew 16:21).
• Job kept trying to argue his case with God. Jesus said, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
• Job repeatedly told his friends of his innocence. Jesus said nothing before His accusers (Matthew 26:63).
• Job berated his friends for their counsel. Jesus forgave His attackers and invited a thief into the Kingdom (Luke 23:34, 43).
• After he was restored, Job was to pray for his friends to be forgiven by God. After Jesus rose from the dead, He restored His friends to service for God (John 20-21).

Job’s response was understandable. We’ve probably all asked “why me?” and complained that life isn’t fair. Jesus could have avoided all suffering, yet He chose the path of humility, service, and love so that we could be redeemed and made righteous. “Out of the anguish of His soul He shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the righteous one, My Servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11). He kept His focus on the eternal results, and therefore, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

When life gets hard, when pain and suffering comes, when things don’t go the way we want, when people are more irritating than encouraging, instead of questioning and complaining let us fix our eyes on Jesus. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been tempted [tested] as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant that yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by 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 the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:3-8).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Less Than

Lately God seems to be focusing my attention on the theme of humility. I wrote some about this back in November, but it has returned to center stage. Recently I read in Dennis Jernigan’s book Daily Devotions for Kingdom Seekers: “Humility keeps us supple and pliable in the hands of the Master Potter.” Not too long after that I started reading Andrew Murray’s book Humility. He wrote:

“Let him consider how all lack of love; all disregard for the needs, feelings, and weakness of others; all sharp and hasty judgments and words, so often excused under the plea of being outright and honest; all manifestations of temper, touchiness, and irritation; all feelings of bitterness and estrangement, have their root in nothing but pride, that only seeks itself.”

That really puts a point on things. Really thinking about the reasons behind our experiences of judgment, irritation, and frustration can reveal the painful truth of indwelling pride. We all tend to think our own time, work, abilities, and beliefs are more important or better than those of other people.

Murray goes on to say:

“…self has nothing good in it, except as an empty vessel which God must fill. Its claim to be or do anything may not for a moment be allowed. It is in this, above and before everything, in which the conformity to Jesus exists, the being and doing nothing of ourselves, that God may be all.”

We must be emptied of self in order to be filled with Christ.

“The root of all goodness and grace, of all faith and acceptable worship, is that we know we have nothing but what we receive, and bow in deepest humility to wait upon God for it.”

All good gifts that we have come from God. Why then do we boast (even if it is just inwardly) about what we have received (1 Cor. 4:7)?

“If humility is the root of the tree [as seen in Jesus], its nature must be seen in every branch, leaf, and fruit.”

We are to be abiding in Christ, and He embodied humility (Phil. 2:5-8), so we too should exemplify humility if we are being conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29).

“If we learn that to be nothing before God is the glory of the creature, we will welcome with our whole heart the discipline we may have in serving even those who annoy or irritate us... No place will be too low, no stooping too deep, and no service too miserable or lengthy, if we simply have the opportunity to share and experience the fellowship with Him who spoke, ‘I am among you as he that serves’ (Luke 22:27).”

Perhaps I’m the only one, but I know that pride is something that trips me up frequently. Yet humility doesn’t come from working harder to be humble. It comes only from focusing less on myself and more on my Savior. The more I seek Him and endeavor to obey what He calls me to do, the less I will be concerned about what anyone else may say or do or think about me.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (Romans 12:3 ESV).

© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com.

Going Down

As often happens, several authors have spoken into my life on related subjects within the past few days. It started as I was reading The Fruitful Life, by Jerry Bridges, which talks about the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). He reminded me that the fruit is not something we can grow on our own, but requires God’s work in us, and as such we have to humbly submit to God’s will and God’s ways for this to happen. He writes:

“Humility in every area of life, in every relationship with other people, begins with a right concept of God as the One who is infinite and eternal in His majesty and holiness. We are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, approaching every relationship and every circumstance in reference to him… When we are conscious of our (sinful) creature relationship to an infinitely majestic and holy God, we will not wish to selfishly compare ourselves with others. And to the extent that our awareness of our lowly place before God is an abiding one, we will avoid the temptations of pride and competition.”

Soon after that I read this article by John Piper in which he says:

“Another way of embracing [God’s sovereignty] is to see that it is taught in the Scriptures and to see some of its implications and to admit that this is in fact the truth that the Bible teaches, but to embrace it with a heart that’s not fully docile or teachable or submissive to the whole counsel of God in Scripture. In other words, a person may be riveted on the doctrine of sovereignty while either being neglectful of other important biblical teachings, or maybe even indifferent to those other teachings or resistant to them.”

A humble heart recognizes that God is sovereign and willingly submits to all that means for each of us. I confess that there are areas in my own life where my submission is reluctantly and grudgingly given. I see that God is sovereign over all His creation, but I don’t particularly like the way He arranges some things. So then today I was reading Battle Ready, by Steve Farrar. He writes:

“Lon [Solomon]’s definition: ‘Brokenness is the process by which God dislodges our self-life and teaches us to rely upon him alone in every facet of our lives. Brokenness is the process whereby God crushes all our self-dependence and, in its place, substitutes an utter dependence on God and God alone in every area of our lives… Through brokenness, God replaces our self-will with a surrender to the will and timing of God, tempering our human zeal with a deep waiting upon God.’… 

“God doesn’t meet our demands to explain Himself. God doesn’t submit Himself to our cross-examinations. He tells us that He is good and righteous, and then asks us to trust Him.”

Finally, this afternoon I visited a friend in a rehab center for physical therapy. He was quick to say, “God is able take care of this, but even if He doesn’t, He’s still God.”

When society (and sometimes even preachers) tell us, “You deserve health and wealth; you’re entitled to recognition and power; you are in control of your destiny;” God has something different to say. He tells us: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed… Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good” (1 Peter 4:12-13, 19 ESV, italics added). God in His sovereignty does not decree lives of comfort, power, and success for His children. Instead we should expect lives that continually reveal our weakness and inability so that He may be glorified as we humbly serve Him.

I was reminded of a line from the end of Hinds’ Feet on High Places:

“From the heights we leap and flow
To the valleys down below,
Sweetest urge and sweetest will,
To go lower, lower still.”

That has been the lesson for me this week, and probably for a long time to come—faithfulness to God is not found in striving for success, achievement, and recognition, but humility; not in entitlement, but service.

“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. 

Deflated

Last Sunday’s sermon included Mark 11:25 (ESV), “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses,” along with the question, who do you need to forgive? I confess that my first thought was “myself.” As I thought about it further, I realized that my problem was not unforgiveness but wounded pride. Guilt and shame feel a lot alike. One difference is that shame is not necessarily tied to any actual sin. Many of the things that plague me are not sins but mistakes or errors in judgment—giving an answer that is based on incomplete knowledge of the facts; not anticipating the impatience of angry drivers on busy roads; or misjudging someone’s intentions. In my imaginary world, I would always have perfect knowledge and therefore would always do what is best and would please everyone all the time. Even as I write that, I realize that God’s perfect knowledge and perfect actions still don’t please everyone, and I am far from being God.

In the midst of my ponderings, I read the following in Lysa TerKeurst’s book Uninvited:

“Anything that infuses us with humility is good. Even if it feels a bit like humiliation in the moment, the workings of humility within are a gift. The tweaking of us by God in the quiet is the saving of us in public. The only difference between humility and humiliation is that one chose to bow low while the other tripped and fell there. Either way, the sweetest grace lifted my face, and I saw that on the other side of the stripping of pride are some of the best gifts God gives us.

“The Bible reminds us that on the other side of humility we find wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). We will be lifted up by God Himself in due time (1 Peter 5:6). ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6 NLT). Humility isn’t a place of weakness but rather a position that will come with honor (Proverbs 18:12). And humility is an absolute requirement for those who ask God to heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14)” (pp. 108-110).

Humility is one of those things that is mentioned often in Scripture but rarely discussed in the church. It’s not really something we are interested in pursuing, perhaps because we think of it as the opposite of pride. Tim Keller, in his helpful little book on 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, rightly criticizes the modern self-esteem theory.

“The person with the superiority complex is overinflated and in danger of being deflated; the person with an inferiority complex is deflated already... Deflated or in imminent danger of being deflated—it is all the same thing. And it makes the ego fragile... Trying to boost our self-esteem by trying to live up to our own standards or someone else’s is a trap. It is not an answer... [The] essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less. Gospel-humility is not needing to think about myself.”

The answer according to the Apostle Paul is that God’s opinion is the only one that matters. “It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Cor. 4:4b). And as Keller puts it,

“Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance? … In Christianity, the moment we believe, God says, ‘This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.’ … ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ … You see, the verdict is in. And now I perform on the basis of the verdict. Because He loves me and He accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my resume. I do not have to do things to make me look good.”

I will be the first to admit that this is far easier said than done when the ego starts getting even slightly inflated. The Apostle John wrote, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:16-17). I’m striving to learn to welcome the little (or big) humiliations that remind me that I am weak but that I serve a strong God. It is indeed a gift of God to remember that He is in control and I’m not. And I need constant reminders that my identity is not determined by my competence at work, having all the right answers at the right times, pleasing everyone, or even my ability to resist some temptation. My identity is determined solely by my relationship with my Father in heaven, and His love for me is unchanging. Therefore I can say with Paul, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself” (1 Cor. 4:3).

“Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).

“But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble… Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:6,10; see also 1 Peter 5:5-6).

© 2017 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. 

Thoughts from Family Camp

In Bible study at Family Camp we're discussing Max Lucado's book Before Amen, and Tuesday we were on the phrase of the pocket prayer, "I need help." Part of the discussion centered around the times when Jesus stopped to help someone because they asked. I was reminded of one of my prior blogs in which I stated that Jesus never saw people as an interruption to His ministry, because they were His ministry. 

Thinking about it later, I realized that two thoughts frequently run through my mind. The first comes when I am feeling weak and needy and wanting to talk to someone, but I think, "I don't want to interrupt them when they have so many other people to help and tasks to complete, so I'll keep it to myself." That's probably not always the wisest of decisions. 

The second recurring thought comes when someone wants to chitchat when I'm busy: "Why is this person interrupting me when I am clearly in the middle of something?" I know that's not a terribly loving response either. (An interruption came as I wrote that sentence.) 

I guess it is pretty selfish to want others to meet my needs while I don't want to do the same. A refresher course on Jesus's perspective of people is in order. All people have value, and all people have needs. We all need someone to talk to, but we also need to be listeners for others. We all need wise counsel at times, and we can provide counsel for others in different areas of life. We all need to be loved, and we all need to give love. We shouldn't downplay our own needs out of some sense of being a burden to others. But neither should we refuse those who inconvenience us. Interruptions may be divine appointments. 

One of the cultural difficulties that seems to be increasing over time is the specialization of professions. The more we learn about the human body, the harder it is to find the correct doctor to deal with a problem. You can be sent to five different specialists and never get an answer. 

The same seems to be happening in the church. First came the clergy-laity divide, and now we have a different minister for every age group or area of need. A person can know they need help but not know where to turn to find answers or even to find someone willing to listen to them and pray for them. I don't think that's how God intended His Body to function. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again--we all have roles to play and we all need each other. I'm certain that pastors would not be so over-scheduled if the members of the Body were all doing their part. 

Humility is the key. It takes humility to admit that I need help myself, but it also takes humility to remember that my agenda is not more important than someone else's. That's just lesson out of many during this week of camp. 

1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)- "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."