I ran into a dear friend this morning on my way into worship, and I do hope you took time out to worship today (to acknowledge, affirm and appreciate His Greatness). We shared a thought; our prayerful desire for this week is that we will learn to sit down so that Jesus can stand up in us. He must increase, but I must decrease - John 3:30. In the age of fans, followers, and likes, He must become more prominent, significant, and important while we must become less. How can we sit down so that He can stand up in us? We sit down when we start allowing Him to increase by acknowledging that His thoughts (the Word) are more important than our opinions, and being obedient to His will and way is more important than acting based on how we feel: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord - Is 55: 8. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done - Luke 22:42. We take a seat when we stop talking and start listening for His voice. When we sit down, He stands up in us: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me nothing - John 15:5. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure - Phil 2:13. (Not in your own strength) for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you (energizing and creating in you the power and desire ), both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight - Phil 2:13 amplified. It's time to stop insisting on having our way. Let's take a seat so that He can stand up in us: But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble - James 4:6. ...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts - Zec 4:6. taking a seat, Diane p.s. this week practice sitting down and allowing Jesus to stand up in you. Stop insisting being right, getting the last word, and winning the argument! I don't know about you, but there are times on this journey when I have to take long showers and I pray over and over again, Lord Jesus help me to think Your thoughts, help me to think Your thoughts, help me to think Your thoughts because what I am thinking right now... Help me think Your thoughts. I have been struggling to complete this post for awhile as I wrestle with demonstrating humility in the face of injustice and mistreatment. I am so glad we are on this journey together. Called to be imitators of God, we are challenged by the example Christ left for us to live with humility. Previously we looked at the life of Christ as He demonstrated His humility through His submission to the Father, and His service to others. This time we look to Him as He shows us His humility through His suffering. I know that last thing we want to hear is that in order to be like Christ we must suffer. While we may not want to hear it, suffering is part of the life of the believer. Not only has Christ left us His example, but He has called us to suffer: For even to this were you called (inseparable from your vocation). For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you (His personal) example, so that you should follow in His footsteps (I Pet 2:21- Amp). So here is Christ who was guilty of no sin, neither was deceit (guile) ever found on His lips. When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; (when) He was abused and suffered, He made no threats (of vengeance); but He trusted (Himself and everything) to Him Who judges fairly (I Pet 2:22-23, Amp). And here we are being asked to follow His example of humility, to accept that we have been called to suffer insults and mistreatment and yet, not lash back. Can you remember the last time you allowed that to happen to you? Wrapping our minds around the thought of this is difficult, and putting this kind of humility into practice is unfathomable. We are not naturally wired to suffer injustice or mistreatment without seeking recourse and every possible remedy for justice at our disposal, including revenge. We will never ever be able to demonstrate or even have the desire to demonstrate this kind of humility in our own strength. For certain, Divine intervention is required: For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of His good pleasure - Phil 2:13. How can we get from where we are to the place where we are willing to follow the Lord's example of humility? We must pray. We must pray: Heavenly Father help us to accept that suffering injustice and mistreatment at times is part of our calling. And help us to, like Jesus, trust you enough when we are confronted by it to know You will judge everything fairly. Help us Lord to remember that we don't have the right to exact vengeance because vengeance belongs to You (Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay , saith the Lord -Rom 12:19.) Help us Lord, to say help me Jesus when we are insulted and mistreated so that we don't hurl insults back and go into attack mode, but we demonstrate humility instead. Help us Lord for we are weak so be our strength. In Jesus Name, amen. Finally, as we grapple with the thought of suffering injustice and being insulted without striking back, we must consider this: if we demand justice the best we can hope for is to receive what is fair. But if we, instead of demanding justice demonstrate humility and depend upon our God to judge the situation, we will not receive what is fair; but rather, grace which is exceeding and abundantly above all that we ask or think (But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble - James 4:6; Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us - Eph 3:20). Justice gives us what is fair, humility gives us abundant grace. So the question we must ask ourselves is do we want what is fair or abundant favor? begging God to help me think His thoughts, Diane p.s. This week let's work on praying " help me Jesus", before I respond when I feel I am treated unfairly or being attacked.#HelpmethinkYourthoughts. #Justicegetswhatsfair. #Humilitygetsabundantgrace.#Favoroverfair I know it has a been a minute since we last connected. Yes I am still on the journey with you, and yes, we are still trying to learn humility from the Master, as we are called to be imitators of God. The last time we were together, we saw how Jesus demonstrated His humility by submitting to the Father, this time we will see His humility through His service to others: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many - Matt 20:28. Jesus, the creator and God of the universe came not to be worshipped but to serve others. A portrait of His humility is painted in the gospel of John. Picture Jesus rising from the dinner table, removing His robe (which is symbolic of Him laying aside His position), wrapping a towel around himself, kneeling on the floor and washing the feet of His disciples: He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; took a towel, and girded himself. After that He poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded -John 13:4-5. After washing the disciples feet, Jesus challenged the disciples: Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you - John 13:13-15. If we are really committed to growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to moving from fandom to follower, we must humble ourselves like He did and begin to serve others. Serving others means we have to stop living selfishly and start to live selflessly. It begins by not focusing solely on our own interests, but also looking out for the interests of others, even esteeming them higher than we esteem ourselves: Do nothing from factional motives (through contentiousness, strife,selfishness or tor unworthy ends) or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the spirit of true humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself (thinking more highly of the one another than you do of yourselves). Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not (merely) his own interests, but also each for the interests of others - Phil 2:3-4 Amp version. In a day and an age when everyone is seeking to be followed, retweeted and shared, as true followers of Jesus Christ we must seek to serve! Jesus lets us know that ...He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted - Matt 23:11-12. learning to serve, Diane p.s. I imagine Jesus' instragram post would be a selfie of Him kneeling down as He washed the feet of His disciples, #Want to be great..grab a towel, #From selfish to selfless p.p.s. As I seek to serve I am particularly challenged by the image of Jesus washing the feet of His Disciples. I don't do feet, not even my own; for me, this represents humiliation. In serving others we must be willing to serve even at the risk of having to step out of our comfort zones and to do things that we deem humiliating. This week let's work on serving others and esteeming others higher than ourselves. This is such an exciting leg of our journey. Having made the commitment to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to move from fandom to followers, we have the promise of grace and peace being multiplied in our lives and having everything needed for life and godliness (II Pet 1:2). What an opportunity, think about it, being taught by the Master. As students of Christ, we learn first by observation and then by imitation. We observe the ways of Christ as we read the Word and then we demonstrate our love and commitment to Him by imitating Him: Therefore be imitators of God (copy and follow His example) as well beloved children (imitate their father) -Eph 5:1 amplified. Our curriculum begins as Jesus instructs us: to take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (Matt 11:29a). Of all the things that Jesus could have said about Himself, He chose to say I am meek and humble. Our first lesson involves studying by observation and then by imitation, not the power or authority of Christ, but the humility of Christ. Humility is a character trait that is difficult to define and is probably better understood as it is demonstrated. The humility of Christ is demonstrated through His submission to the Father, His service to others, His suffering and His sacrifice. Jesus demonstrated true humility as He submitted to God the Father. John 5:19 tells us: the Son of man can do nothing of Himself. Then in John 6:38 He let's us know: I came down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of Him that sent me. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him - John 7:18. I seek not mine own glory - John 8:50. Jesus, the Creator of the universe, humbled Himself and became nothing that the Father might be everything. Jesus said the power, the praise, my purpose and my pursuits are not mine but His who sent me. As we observe the humility of Christ by His submission to the Father, we are challenged to follow His example, to make our life not about us but about Him! Let this same attitude and purpose and (humble) mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: (Let Him be your example in humility)...And after He had appeared in human form, He based and humbled Himself (still further) and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross ! - Phil 2:5,8) True humility for believers is the recognition that God is everything and we are nothing, and since He is everything and we are nothing; humility is allowing Him to be everything in our lives. It is the recognition that without Him nothing - John 15:5b; For in Him we, and move and have our being -Acts 17:28. The apostle Paul recognized that his confidence and competence came solely from Christ: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God - II Cor 3:5. being taught by the Master, Diane p.s. I am convinced if the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ was to take place today, the only way He could get us to follow Him would be to have an Instagram and Twitter account. I would imagine His instagram post for this lesson would be a picture of Him in the Garden Gethsemane where He is praying intensely asking the Father for another way other than the cross. His hashtags: #Nevertheless #Not my will but thy will |
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