Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.

Our definition of humility must be biblical and not simply pragmatic, and in order to be biblical it must begin with God. As John Calvin wrote, “It is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.”

That’s where the following definition can help us: Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.

That’s the twin reality that all genuine humility is rooted in: God’s holiness and our sinfulness. Without an honest awareness of both of these realities, all self-evaluation will be skewed and we’ll fail to either understand or practice true humility.

[C. J. Mahaney, Humility]

Quote from…

Right now I’m listening to…

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about…

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

[C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory]

Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer…

When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and I get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty, I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.

To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God’s grace means. As Thomas Merton put it, “A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God.”

[Brennan Manning, Ragamuffin Gospel, 25]

⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

[Ephesians 2.4 - 10, New Living Translation SE]

Who are you? Who am I?

What defines you?

Time to get honest with ourselves.

Speaking of time, I’m out of it. Late. Fun.

I pray that we all experience God’s unconditional love and mercy, showered with grace today.

Grace and peace my fellow paradoxes.

some random McManus quotes

Whenever we take on a God-sized challenge, self-sufficiency is no longer an option.

Many times when we claim we are waiting on God, He is waiting on us.

Do what you know you should do, and you will know what to do. God clarifies in the midst of obedience, not beforehand.

You know where to begin: take initiative. You know who God is, so embrace life’s uncertainty.

When God is involved, the epilogue is not mysterious. God wins.

-erwin mcmanus

if you knew that you couldn’t fail, what would you do differently?

Deuteronomy 31.1-8, NLT 

One of the hallmarks of American culture in the 20th century was its fascination with the superhero. From comic-book sales to blockbuster movies to the graphic novel genre, entire industries have played into the attraction we have to individuals who are somehow possessed of powers not enjoyed by mere mortals. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and other fictional characters capture our collective imagination as they battle super-villians their creators dream up to fight them. The urge of a boy to wear his underpants on the outside of his pajamas and tear around the house fighting phantom bad guys is an inherited character trait passed down proudly from father to son.

So what is it about a superhero that’s so appealing? Bravery. Power. Strength. Ingenuity. The ability to fly. The fact that they usually get the girl. The fact that they can seemingly get out of any jam they find themselves in. Who wouldn’t want that kind of existence?

Thinking of that context, reread today’s passage. Joshua is, in effect, getting his superhero’s license from Moses. Now, it’s unlikely that this involved a cape and a mask, but Moses here tells Joshua that, with God’s power behind him, he will be able to deal with adversity and conquer his foes.

Moses tells the people that their new leader, Joshua, will take them forward into Canaan. Their old leader, Moses, encourages Joshua in front of the people, “Be strong and courageous…The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” With that reinforcement as a backdrop, Joshua moved forward. Fear couldn’t hold him back. He believed God.

If you knew that you couldn’t fail, what would you do differently? Pursue a promotion at work? Further your education? Ask someone to marry you? Risk repairing a broken relationship?

The fact is that, when God goes before you, you can’t fail. If you’re living within God’s will you don’t need to be afraid. You may endure a few shots along the way, but with the world’s only real Superpower behind you, you can’t ultimately fail. Take the risk. Live with passion. Listen to his assurance: “Be strong and courageous…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

go back and read Deuteronomy 30.11-14. what does this passage
say about your ability to obey God and the benefits of doing so?

how has fear kept you from reaching your dreams?

in what areas of your life do you need more courage?

“Trust God, and be not afraid, or else you will plague yourself.”
–Charles Haddon Spurgeon

why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is?

okay…so i cannot wait for this book to come out…i know i already have a million books that i’m trying to read and i’m reading EXTREMELY slow…but this one grabbed me and i’m really looking forward to it’s release in late April…anyway…here’s what it’s about…

Book Description
“Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I’m crazy, that I’m taking the Bible too literally, or that I’m not thinking about my family’s well-being. . . When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?”

About the Author
Francis Chan is pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California. He is also the president of Eternity Bible College and sits on the Board of Directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis spends much of his time speaking to students around the country, committed to teaching directly from the Bible. His passion is to see the Church display a much deeper love for Jesus. Francis, his wife, Lisa, and their four children live in California.

…forgive us we have made You small…

great God greater than us all / forgive us we have made You small / God open our eyes to see / great God greater than us all / let Your people stand in awe / God we will rise up and say great God!
[Daniel Doss Band, Great God]

i’ve caught myself way too many times lately making more of me…and less of God…i lean harder on MY knowledge, on MY skills, on MY desires…striving for what I want…and in the process i find that i’m ignoring what God is doing in and around me and i end up putting Him back in the cool little box i’ve made for Him…no wonder i’ve been so “blah” lately…no wonder i haven’t been able to look up and see the glory of it all and just be struck by awe…

it really frustrates me that i keep telling myself things like, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” [john 3.30, nlt], and reading books like Louie Giglio’s i am not but i know I AM, and C.J. Mahaney’s Humility, and i still miss the point…everyday i miss it. ugh! ha…it’s just so frustrating…i want my life to matter…to mean something…to be bigger than me!

my friend Patrick just got back from Passion where Louie Giglio and many others just straight up brought the truth…you can read in Patrick’s blog where he talks about Louie, saying:

“the 1st night (Friday) Louie talked about each of us leveraging our lives for “the most important thing of everything” = the Name & Fame of Jesus (Revelation 5). We each get a little match that burns (life) for a bunch of years & then it dwindles down & goes out. But, I wanna throw my little match in with the eternal, glorious flame of Jesus & make that flame as bright & famous as I can. Because once my match (life) has burned out, that’s the end. Just a simple talk, but a great reminder that living my life for Jesus’ fame is all that matters.”

what would Christianity look like if we considered ourselves less and less and Christ greater and greater in our lives? what would it look like if we would mean it when we say, “i know i am not, but i know I AM”? what would it look like if we all took our little matches and threw them into Christ’s glorious flame?

God, forgive us for making you so small…for glorifying ourselves when all glory and honor and majesty should be yours…all yours and only yours…let us live our lives in continual awe of you…let us rise up and say great God!

     

God is Love…Glorifying God

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.

[1 john 4.7-21, the message]

An airplane is meant to fly, a car is built to be driven, and clothes are designed to be worn. You would have very little use for a plane that would not fly, a car that would not move, or clothes that can no longer be worn.

Why? Because their purpose is not being realized. It’s a great frustration to have things that are no longer useful. God must feel that way about us sometimes.

You were designed to know Him, not simply to have a comfortable life. You were not created just to get married, have children and a successful career, then grow old and enjoy retirement. These are some of life’s benefits, its side dishes, not its purpose.

The tragedy today is that we have taken life’s benefits and tried to make them our purpose. We’re trying to make the side dishes the main course. The result is that we often find the benefits very unsatisfactory. No wonder.

So if the purpose of life is not marriage, success, happiness, or any of that, what is it? What were we created for? Answer: we were created to know and worship God with an all-consuming passion. That’s it. That’s why Paul tells us to do everything to God’s glory.

Bringing glory to something means to put it on the mantel where it can be admired. A woman seeks glory when she decorates her home in such a way that guests say, “Wow, where did you get that?” She puts a special treasure on display so that when people see it, they are in awe.

That’s what we’re supposed to do for God. We’re supposed to display Him in such a way that people are awed by Him. Glorifying God means to make Him look good, to place Him on display so that when others see our lives, they are in awe of our God.

Even in the everyday stuff, your goal should be to make God look good. But I can tell you, it takes real passion to live like that. To anyone who is trying to know and serve God halfheartedly without passion, I think Paul would say, “Why bother?” If you’re going to seek God, go for it like you mean it!

–Tony Evans

have you been tempted to seek your joy in the “benefits of life”? how have they proved unfulfilling?

why is it important to glorify God?

how can you glorify God in practical ways in your everyday life?

Words kill, words give life…

“When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.”
[ephesians 4.29, ncv]

In his book on Humility, C.J. Mahaney comments on this verse, writing:

Our words are intended to communicate encouragement. Our words are to edify–they should be “good for building up.” And that goes for all our speech. We’re specifically commanded to communicate “only” that which edifies.

What are edifying words?

Here’s what they’re not. They’re not simply polite words. This verse isn’t an exhortation to niceness or social protocol. And it certainly isn’t talking about flattery or about superficial words or about compliments that are man-centered or man-exalting.

Truly edifying words are words that reveal the character and the promises and the activity of God. They’re cross-centered words. They’re words rooted in and derived from Scripture, words taht identify the active presence of God, and words that communicate the evidences of grace that you observe in others. They’re words that flow from a humble heart.

We’re commanded to communicate only words like these that are good for building up another. What a sweet command! What a privilege!

i have to admit, i’ve been doing a really, REALLY bad job of this lately. i’ve been careless and even worse, wreckless with my words. i’ve said things that i haven’t meant and i’ve meant things that i haven’t said. what a fool! what an arrogant fool…i’ve been killing those i love most with my words. i seriously need to refocus and get my priorities straight again because i’ve been failing miserably at this life i’ve been given. we get one life…one shot at this. i need to make the most of it and live it well.

my friend Brian says that i should put this verse to music and make it the theme song of my life because i quote it all the time. here it is, Paul writes, “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back” [philippians 3.12, the message]. if i’m gonna quote it so much i’d better start living up to it…i need get on my way, “well on my way, reaching out for Christ” and live this life for Him who lived His life for me.

remember, we are called, and commanded, to encourage others all day, every day…our words are powerful…our words matter. “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose” [proverbs 18.21, the message].

…i’m in a hurry, but God isn’t

The day The Dwelling was set up, the Cloud covered The Dwelling of the Tent of Testimony. From sunset until daybreak it was over The Dwelling. It looked like fire. It was like that all the time, the Cloud over The Dwelling and at night looking like fire.

When the Cloud lifted above the Tent, the People of Israel marched out; and when the Cloud descended the people camped. The People of Israel marched at God’s command and they camped at his command. As long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, they camped. Even when the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for many days, they honored God’s command and wouldn’t march. They stayed in camp, obedient to God’s command, as long as the Cloud was over The Dwelling, but the moment God issued orders they marched. If the Cloud stayed only from sunset to daybreak and then lifted at daybreak, they marched. Night or day, it made no difference—when the Cloud lifted, they marched. It made no difference whether the Cloud hovered over The Dwelling for two days or a month or a year, as long as the Cloud was there, they were there. And when the Cloud went up, they got up and marched. They camped at God’s command and they marched at God’s command. They lived obediently by God’s orders as delivered by Moses.

[numbers 9.15-23, the message]

Phillips Brooks, a pastor in New England during the late 1800′s, was known as a calm and relaxed man. But one particular evening a friend found him pacing the floor like a caged lion. When the friend asked him what was wrong, Brooks replied, “The trouble is I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”

Can you relate? Sometimes the hardest part of following God is waiting on Him to move. At these times questions come fast and furious. “Why won’t our house sell?” “When will I hear something from the person who interviewed me?” “How long do I have to wait for my friend’s attitude to change?”

The Israelites discovered this truth firsthand. God led them through the wilderness, but not always at the pace they had hoped for. Yet God expected the people to obey regardless of the wait.

It’s not hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for the Israelites to be patient and obedient, because you experience this in your own life. Maybe you’re waiting for an answer to prayer. You know that God’s answer is critical, yet He doesn’t seem to be responding. You’re in a hurry, but God isn’t.

And while the hardest part may be the waiting, learning to trust God in the middle of it all is no picnic either. Yet Proverbs 3.5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Obeying and trusting God often require a measure of patience. “Obedience must be the struggle and desire of our life,” writes Phillip Brooks. “Obedience, not hard and forced, but ready, loving and spontaneous.” So Brooks waiting, in spite of his moments of impatience.

Are you willing to wait for God, trust His timing and answers and obey–regardless of the wait?

Why does God seem to move slowly at times?

About what needs or concerns are you waiting to hear a response from God? Pray for patience as you wait.

What practical steps can you take to trust and obey while waiting for God’s answer?

“I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, o’er mountain or plain or sea. I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord, I’ll be what you want me to be.”

-Mary Brown