Suffering Other's Sin

I awoke this morning with a profound urge to pray. I found a very personal answer to a question in this....

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit." ~1 Peter 3:18 NIV

It is easy to see the sinfulness in others. not so easy to suffer for others in spite of that sin. That is righteousness.

We do not have the righteousness in us, it is only because of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit that we can suffer other's sin. We talk about judging others, but what is really at hand is suffering through another's sin while battling our own sinful response.

The human condition after the Fall is that sin begets sin.  A vicious cycle

Would Timothy Have Avoided Us?

What is the antidote?

Do you not recognise our society- NO, let's make this personal...do we recognise OURSELVES in this passage?  Make a list and be honest.  Painfully honest, we can see much of ourselves and our conforming to the world in our actions.

Before that becomes a burden of guilt, let's confess this quickly (these are the last days) and give our heart away to one who has covered all our sin.  Ask the Holy Spirit to mold us into the person that honors God.

Arrogance

I had two instances today where scripture pointed to this word: Arrogance.  In the first case, it was in 1 Corinthians 12 and Paul was schooling the church there about how they had viewed themselves are greater than one another because of the spiritual gifts imparted.  Tonight in our family bible study Jacob finished up Malachi and the beginning of that chapter talks about the arrogant being trampled.

Our blind spots allow us to overlook areas where we are arrogant, think more highly of ourselves than we should and miss social cues that might allow us to see ourselves better.

A quick fix for this would be to have someone follow you around for a day and video record you.  You would probably wince at watching such a brutally honest outside view- "Is THAT what I sound like?" "Wow, that was not what I looked like was it?" and "I didn't intend to come off that way!"

What makes me arrogant?  Where is the pride and the superiority in my life?  Who do I see as inferior and why?  Arrogance is both the act of boasting and smallness, it is insecurity and blind spots.  Nobody sets out to be arrogant, it seems to happen when others don't recognise and affirm that we have value- so we claim it for ourselves.

Brevity

This word came to me a month ago.  I am a teacher at heart and I enjoy public speaking.  Admittedly I am a student, not a master of Listening.  As I was listening to a friend speak at length about a topic he was passionate about, I saw something of myself in him and this word appeared before my eyes and I could not hear what he was saying after it appeared.  I am still chewing on the word "brevity".  It feels significant and heavy to me.  Like a burden I am suppose to carry.  "Speak simply and use as few words as possible" is what I feel the Spirit speak to me.   We recently had a retreat with our bible study, three of us were teaching.  I reduced my teaching down to a few points that fit on two bookmarks and allowed a time for listening to God in nature.  I was by far the shortest teaching session of the weekend.  Something about that was deeply gratifying, like God smiled on my effort to obey him.  My bible study group may have wondered "Is that all?"

I measure my words more carefully than before.  I do not regret or question whether "less is more"

Those who presume to be wise, or be teachers, or leaders assume a high position.  I don't know that as mortal men we are wise to go there.  We are too fallible, too susceptible to pride, too limited in vision, too deceived by what appears to be wisdom.  It is better to be ascribed as a teacher than to claim to be one.  It is better that we accept a lower role and let our fruits draw us higher.  Humility and service over pride and power.  It is best to speak the word of God and what the Spirit says and not add too much of our wisdom to what we teach, to not "seize authority".

Let someone else speak of your authority because of the fruit that is born from your service and humble spirit.

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.  Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words."   
 ~ Ecclesiastes 5: 1-3

I'm Not Who I Was

Often I think about choices I have made at intersections in my life.  Some have been bad choices that have led me down detours and dead-ends or worse.  I don't know how many of my choices have been right nor even due to me (rather God dropped good things in my lap) but I have an idea about a few things I have done right.  A friend reminded me this week that we often compare our blooper reel to others highlight reel and get frustrated and depressed.

If I take back some of my choices, then a cascade of other things change- some of them very good.  No, I cannot give into regret and thoughts of changing the past.  Growth comes through going through, not by avoiding or going around the reality (and consequences) of our choices.

I do know I am not who I was.  God changed me, he changed my heart and I really did become a new creation, renewing my mind and my heart- my personality was radically altered but not perfect. My life since then has been a period of learning, examination and growth.

It's all a part of growing up...

"And the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was..."

(From I'm Not Who I Was by Brandon Heath)

Spiritual Challenge of the Week: Prayer Journalling

Anyone can do this:  Prayer journalling.

Don't make excuses, start this today.

Get yourself a small notebook and carry it with you.  Listen to God.  Listen to people.  Write it down.  Pray for people until you get an answer.  Highlight the request once it has been answered.  God may give you insight into your prayer life, things he wants you to do, or ways to pray- jot those down too.  Keep praying for anything you have written down until there is an answer no matter how long it takes.  Follow up with people if possible to get updates (it may cause you to change what you are praying for).  Prayer changes things, often the thing that changes is you.  Miracles are happening all around us and we are too busy to notice or recognize them for what they are- God's hand at work- not luck, not coincidence not fate.  Look to see how God answers prayer- sometimes not as you would have asked or imagined.  A couple of weeks of this and you will find yourself looking for opportunities to pray for others, you will feel more in tune with God and looking forward to prayer times.  Be consistent- that is the key.

God is speaking.  Are we listening?

Blessings!!

Jeff

Aliens

Do you fit in too well?

“If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you." (John 15:18-19)

As a friend use to say, "This world's got nothing for me."

If you think I am strange, good! I should seem like an alien:

"Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." (1 Peter 2:11-12 The Message)