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A Jar Filled with Glory

Dear Sister,

Humility.  Tough subject.  I am not very humble.

Ooo, that was pretty humble of me!

Blast!  Yeah, I have lots of work to do….

I definitely have this see-saw approach with pride and humility. “And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” (I Peter 5:5b).  I want so much to be His poster child, yet that very desire seems to be diabolically opposite to His qualifications for the job.

A brief search in the dictionary in the back of my Bible noted that humility is “self-abasement” and pride is “exaggerated self-esteem.”  In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul writes, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”  From the definitions and these verses, I discover humility not to be a life of unreserved self-denial—Paul does not say to abandon your personal interests—but a life that thinks (and acts) to love others ahead of self.

While I was growing up, one of my pastors said he tried to sacrifice something every day, just to keep himself in the habit of sacrifice—to remind himself this earth is not home, just a stopping place.  Perhaps humility is much the same:  hoping your heart will suddenly foster thoughts and actions of humility is putting the cart before the horse.  However, deliberately choosing to give someone else the largest piece of pie, the space to merge in front of you in traffic, the help in cleaning their mess—all while not looking for thanks or recognition—knowing that our Father sees and will reward us ultimately in front of all, but also immediately with a softening of the heart, is a beginning of the habit of humility.  Maybe being that poster child is ok—the attitude is the deciding factor.  If I want to be the model of humility so that others praise me, I have failed.  If I desire to be the vessel God uses so He gets the glory, then all the world will see is a transparent jar with the light of Jesus shining through and humility will be her name.

Running with you,

Rebecca

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The Perfect Holiday Wardrobe; Humility and Thankfulness

Dear sisters,

Several years ago as a new college graduate, I began to realize that I enjoyed nice clothing and that I had easy access to a fabulous outlet mall! Hmm…where do you think this story is going? Growing up in a large family with several sisters and female cousins, I was quite accustomed to second-hand clothing, so having new clothes for every season was not a regular occurrence for me. Most of my extra cash during college went towards books (science books are not especially affordable), but now I found myself with a new budgeting (read: heart) dilemma. I had yet to discover thrift-shopping and clearance racks, or the beauty of holiness.

One morning, I stumbled upon this passage in Colossians 3: 12-15: “Therefore, God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all, put on love — the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.” I knew this was God speaking directly to me, and I quickly posted these verses in my closet as a reminder to put on these lovely qualities daily, hoping to find more joy in these virtues than in donning a new outfit. We see this reminder in 1 Peter 3 as well, and in Proverbs 11:22. Notice that these verses do not reject the cultivation of physical beauty, but rather emphasize spiritual beauty more so than physical.

As we move into the holiday season, it is easy to become distracted with appearances, whether it is finding that cute party dress, the perfectly wrapped gift, or a family photo that will impress. Do you find yourself struggling to be grateful in this season? I know I do. Someone else will always have more or look better. The very time of year when we are ‘supposed’ to be overflowing with the compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience in the passage above, many of us find it extremely difficult to do so. You are not alone in this sister! The crowds at the mall, grocery store, and post office don’t help us a bit, and it seems impossible to get everything done, while also getting reasonable sleep, nutrition, and exercise. There is absolutely no white space on the calendar, and cultivating a quiet heart? Forget it, you might be saying! But our gracious and compassionate Jesus comes quietly, with the answer. Are you listening?

Jesus comes to us this Thanksgiving as he always has, in perfect humility. In Philippians 2, we are reminded of the example of Christ as he laid down his life for us in every possible way. The Gospel is again the answer, and not just at the Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve services. The Gospel is the answer when you are stressed and running late in the grocery line, when most of your Christmas cards were returned with wrong addresses, when your child forgets their lines in the play, when the cookies burn. When we humble ourselves and embrace our great need for a Savior in these small, daily moments; when we accept His lavish grace in our imperfections, we find ourselves robed in His exquisite righteousness. Talk about a makeover, ladies! Who needs a reality show when this grace can be your daily reality? That’s what I want. Take special note of the reminder in verse 12… our motivation to put on holiness is found in the knowledge of God’s love for us! Pretty powerful, I think! No guilt trips or legalism here.

Join me in putting off the vices listed earlier in Colossians 3, and seeking the face of God for grace to put on humility, thankfulness, compassion, gentleness, patience, kindness, love, forgiveness, and the peace of the Messiah this holiday season. We’re not going to do this perfectly, but the first step is always repentance, followed by grace that empowers us for holy living. Might I encourage you to post these verses in your closet, by your bursting calendar, or next to your bathroom mirror? Let’s all take a deep breath; let go of the unreasonable expectations we have during the holidays, and find grace to truly embrace these gifts. Sister, you are already looking gorgeous!

Glowing in Grace,

Ruth

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Apparent Injustice…Nevertheless!

Dear Sister,

There is a certain passage in the Bible that is my go-to when I can’t sleep at night, or when I am running or swimming those seemingly endless laps. They are not the typical motivational verses; in fact, the chapter begins with the author recounting how he resents God’s version of justice.

So why would I choose this particular chapter to regularly camp out in, memorize, and meditate out of the whole treasure of God’s Word? Well, because the writer questions God’s decisions to allow evil, lazy, prideful people to have abundance on earth and he finds the answer to his question about God’s justice (how often do I ask God “Why?!”). How is that justice good and right? The writer goes to church. There, in his time with God, his eyes are opened. He peers into the future of those people content without God. Their future is complete destruction. In His mercy and desire that none perish, God may be slow to wrath by our perception of time, but those who finally meet Him after choosing to shun Him throughout their lives will be utterly undone! No escaping, no hiding, no excuses, just stark, bold truth and devastating judgment.

Then, the author remembers in the midst of his jaw-clenching, passionate (even beast-like) resentment of God’s apparent injustice that his only recourse is to cling to God. There is no one, and nothing else on earth or heaven that can save (and which has imperishable, immeasurable worth) but God. He is God—there are no comparisons. He will do things incomprehensible to me, for I am like an infant in wisdom and righteousness.

“Nevertheless”

Defined: “in spite of that; notwithstanding; all the same.” Whatever I may think, whatever I may want, whatever I may do (or others do), He is my all: “I am continually with Thee.”

“You have taken hold of my right hand.” He holds me. My strength and convictions would surely be insufficient—what a comfort He has taken my hand. Those who choose to forsake or ignore God are destroyed. Resentment dissolves as I too decide, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.” (Psalm 73:1-28)

He is our all. Our hope, our promise, our treasure. Set aside any resentment you might have toward God, dear sister, for this is not our home—simply our race. The race is supposed to be difficult—testing us, refining us, stripping away the imperfect, building eternal muscle. Our reward will be hard won and that much more beautiful for the sacrifices. (Heb. 12:1-3)

Running with you,

Rebecca

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Help For A Prideful Heart

My dear sister,

I can tell when I’m getting there: my belly tightens, my countenance falls, and my eyes can’t meet theirs.   These physical reactions are manifestations of what is going on in my soul…choosing to not forgive the person for what they have done to me. After all, if I was in their position, I would have never made the choice they did: to hurt me. Or so I make myself believe so I can feel good about holding onto my resentment that is quickly rolling into bitterness.

I read somewhere that anger responds to an incident, about what someone did, where resentment (that leads to bitterness) is a settled stance against the person. I have found that true in my life, have you? I have determined in my heart that I will not like or forgive a person. The hurt they inflicted on me (abuse, break of trust, afflicting my child, adultery, firing me, etc.) is something that I can never forgive or forget.

I wish I had more than a few paragraphs to work through this, as it is an issue that is insidious in women’s lives and sometimes needs years of biblical counseling. But there is hope for you and me. Please let me preach to myself as I write to you.

Resentment and bitterness in my heart shows that I have forgotten how much sin Jesus paid for me on the cross. Please take time to read Matthew 18:21-35 where Jesus tells a parable of a servant who was freed from a lifetime of debt, jailed his servant who owed him a hundred days wage. Jesus has paid for all my ugly sin against God and all my neighbors, yet I can’t forgive one neighbor. “But I would never have done what they did!” Oh sister, but by the grace of God we are where we are. We are all capable of all sin. We murder in our hearts. We commit adultery with our choices of books, TV, or thoughts. We connive to get our way. We manipulate our husband, friend’s and family. And if you proudly say you haven’t done these, you now have shown your prideful heart.

We need God’s forgiveness in our lives! If we forget this, resentment against others moves in. As believers, we are known by our love to God and neighbor. If our love is not shown as forgiveness to those who have hurt us, how can we be sure that we truly trust that the Lord has forgiven us? If we genuinely believe that we have been shown mercy by our Creator, how can we not then show mercy to fellow offenders?

Finally, the Lord says that vengeance is His, not ours. We are not judge and jury over others, God is. Let the Lord deal with your offender. He will do them justice. He will give them what they deserve. So sister, let them go. Pray that they will find their forgiveness with the Lord rather than face the wrath of hell for eternity (what we all deserve). Serve them. Impossible? YES! That is why we need an all powerful God and Spirit to help us do what we cannot do on our own. Will we fail? Yes. Let’s be honest, we are human. But then…remember! Christ died for our bitterness and resentment! Repent! Find the refreshment of being cleansed by the blood. Then, let this be your inspiration to free your offender. Look them in the eye and forgive them as you have been forgiven.

Oh God! Help us! This is so difficult! We need you to help us not be resentful. Wash us anew in your grace and mercy and strengthen us to extend this mercy to others.

Your sister in Christ,

Colleen

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The Eternal Internal Power

Dear Sister,

Don’t you just love stories of an underdog’s triumph? The poor, weak individual who overcomes great obstacles, finds strength, defeats the stronger foe, and stands on top with great victory and power at the end! All throughout, the storyline shows how the feeble character finds, develops, and builds their previously undiscovered power. These stories rarely fail to fire me up and cause me to dig deeper into my soul to conquer whatever challenge I face at the time. I. Will. Win.

But, then I read Jesus’ message: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9b. This is still part of an underdog story, but it has a different ending. Instead of a vibrant winner (Paul, in this case) being carried jubilantly to the front of the church, a model of health, he continued to limp along in their midst. This ending is all the more significant because Jesus gets the glory. For, in spite of his ailment, and perhaps because of it, Jesus is seen in Paul’s actions—in his life. Jesus is glorified, not Paul.

I delight in precision, order, and perfection. I strive and goad myself to reach goals that have tangible evidence of success. Now, I am dismayed to find that I may have been investing a great amount of time ‘painting the outside’ and neglecting the much more important eternal inside. That is not to say our physical well-being, careers, and the state of our possessions do not matter; but they cannot compare to the value of our relationship with Christ. And, above all, all aspects of our lives should point to and give glory to our Lord and Savior.

If I am in the spotlight, beautiful and strong in my own right, I can distract others from the Lord. No, I can never take away from His glory, but I do not want to impede another’s access to our precious Savior, nor do I want to bask in that which is fleeting. So, while I do not want trials and struggles (here, I freely admit I am weak and treasure my creature comforts), I do echo Paul’s desire that Jesus’ power dwell in me. Lord, if You are glorified more because I suffer—please, grant me Your mercy and Your power to persevere and let this unworthy vessel shine transparent for You.

Stumbling with you,

 

Rebecca