Thursday, April 14, 2016

on Humility

This has been something God has really been hitting me over the head with recently. Pride is easy to adapt, easy to live into, but has very little place in the Kingdom of God. Time and time again in all four gospels we hear Jesus putting prideful people in their places. Jesus has moments when he tells the Rich Young Ruler to sell all of his possessions (Matthew 19:16-22), he instructed dinner guests to sit at the foot of the table and not the head (Luke 14), and he even voluntarily washed his disciples feet (John 13), a task not even slaves during 1st century Israel were required to preform.

Jesus is very intentional about spreading his message of being humble and willing to serve and also condemning those who demonstrate prideful behavior. Because he knows and saw in his earthly ministry time and time again just how destructive prideful behavior can be. So, in this overarching message what are a few things we can learn about humility? Here are a few. . .

1) Anybody can practice it.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Martin Luther King Jr. he said that anybody can be great because anybody can serve someone else. What a powerful reminder that servanthood is not based on talent, income, or intellectual ability! My charge to you is look to serve. Look to go above and beyond without being asked or without getting anything in return. You very well could lead someone to want to know the God you worship.

2) Jesus first served us.
Servanthood and humility does require you to give up something. It often requires you to give up being first, being comfortable, and often it requires you to give up your time. But, what you get in return is so much greater than what you gave up. You get the joy of blessing someone with your love and service, and there is also the reminder that whenever we fed the hungry, clothed the naked, etc. we did it to Jesus as well. (Matthew 25, Parable of the Sheep and the Goats).

3) Habits become a lifestyle.
Let's face it most of enjoy being served. We like someone bringing us a drink so we don't have to get up from the couch, we enjoy someone volunteering to watch our kids, clean our house, etc. But, when you begin to walk humbly, thank people regularly, and look to serve your church, neighborhood, family, and community these habits will become a part of who you are. It will be one of the biggest blessings and adventures of your life!

Monday, April 4, 2016

on Proverbs 12

One thing I do really love is that the word of God is timeless. God's word speaks into our lives in powerful, real, and profound ways all the time. My prayer and hope is that the more we read the word of God, the more we become like Jesus. Here are some thoughts on Proverbs 12.

Proverbs 12:1, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge. Whoever hates correction is stupid."
  Discipline is a word that brings up many negative feelings. We remember the days of being grounded, not being able to watch TV, being put in time-out, or being spanked, swatted, etc. However, the writer of Proverbs seems to have a different approach. If you love discipline then you will love knowledge. If you see the value in being corrected, learning from mistakes, have the humility to admit you were wrong, and the enthusiasm to correct/change your foolish behavior than the writer contends you will love knowledge. To take it one step further and to fit this verse in the overarching theme of Proverbs, good things will come to those who love discipline.
  Where I think this conversation needs to go is two-fold. 1) I think and personally believe discipline always should make the person being disciplined a better person. The idea of discipline should always be behavior change not punishment or even a power trip, but rather the result should be a change of the heart. We discipline out of love, not power. 2) Learn to set a powerful example. Humans beings imitate what they see and especially imitate those people who they like and respect. If you're in a position of authority (parent, teacher, older sibling, etc) be a source of kindness, love, and respect. Younger people will imitate good behavior if they see see it.
Proverbs 12:20, "Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy."
  It can sometimes be very difficult to measure a person's heart. Because we don't fully know their whole story. We don't know often their struggles and what they deal with on a daily basis. But, the good news is that is for God to know not us. We do know our heart, and we do know where we stand. Is your life looking to promote peace, heal brokenness, give encouragement, and point people closer to Jesus? Or is your life about lifting yourself up and always being right?
  This is a great thing to really look at, pray about, and begin to look to serve. I look to volunteer one time a week, and I will say that has really allowed my heart to be focused more on serving the Kingdom than myself. Please know that we do this journey together, and we are for you in your pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus.