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From humility to body suits

Lately I have been struggling through the idea of humility. I mean what is it? I know that I shouldn’t be prideful about anything because EVERYTHING comes from God but why?
The Bible speaks that if we humble ourselves God will lift us up, which alludes to something greater. In Romans 12 Paul calls the followers of Jesus to be living sacrifices, which aside from being a paradox in its very nature, is an amazing idea. The thought that we must give up our lives in order to come to God is profound, yet the truth that we must die in order to live in Christ is earth shattering.

In verse three Paul says to not think of yourself as greater than any other but to examine your self with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Even your own personal faith is God given! Christ laid His life down, so that we might believe with a faith that He gives. This is what we preach.

I was talking with my Pastor Mike a little while ago, and he said that the most selfish thing we can do is put our complete lives in the hands of God. I had never heard this before, but it makes complete sense! With our lives in the hand of an almighty, all-powerful king how can we lose? So how does a Christian become humble, or appear humble? The only way to do this is when the recognition is entirely given to God. My friend Jon says that we are like clay pots that carry the gospel. We are ugly, and it is only when we are cracked that Christ’s light is able to shine out of us.

2 Corinthians 4 says that we do not preach ourselves but that which is in us. What an amazing burden lifted! I like to look at this as though we are living with an indestructible body suit…… If I had an indestructible body suit I would throw myself off cliffs, slide down the Bonneville dam, and drag myself behind cars… maybe this is a stupid analogy but think about it. When we are living in Christ we are entirely safe, our eternity is paid for in full; it is the best life insurance policy around. So would we not be doing a complete injustice to God if we didn’t live as though we had nothing to lose? Because when we come down to it we don’t. God will give us what He wants in accordance with His will.

I am reading this book that many of you have probably read or heard of, it’s called Crazy Love, it is an awesome book by Francis Chan that has challenged me in my own alignment with God. Francis tells a story about when he was in high school he thought of joining the Marines but then though of how hard it would have been physically so he changed his mind. He never asked them if he could do a few less push-ups or if he could run a little bit less, so when we become Christians why don’t we give Christ our all? I think it then boils down to this: Will we humble ourselves enough to be living sacrifices?

I pray that we all do.

Inadequacy…

Well today is my birthday and what better to think on than inadequacy? That might be humorous to some but think about this… when in your life are you more inadequate than when you are a newborn child? You have more needs at that period, than any other time of your life. In fact with out your own personal slave there is a good chance you would die! Thank you Mom!!! Anyway…. Inadequacy is something that from our time of birth, as humans, we all struggle with.

A couple nights ago I was talking with my good friend Dan about our first years in college, and the topic of weakness came up. He was sharing with me his fears, and how living on a very anti-Christian campus has affected his spiritual life. I was telling him how weak I felt on my floor, and how I wished I could have done more this year. We talked about how we felt insignificant, and it dawned on me that in times of our weakness we have two choices. We can either retreat within our flesh in a feeble attempt at rescuing ourselves… or we can step out in faith that God has more power than us, and will deliver us in mighty ways. See it is at our weakest moment that God is strongest.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

This is my favorite verse, for many reasons, but the foremost being that I am an incredibly weak person. I also have my strengths, but to know that when I am feeling most inadequate Christ’s power is at rest upon me absolutely blows my mind!
It is for this reason the proud cannot enter the throne room of God. Because if we gain in the area of our inadequacy then we immediately have something to lose; blocking us from being fully used by God. When we are called sons of God it is because we may enter the throne room with boldness, but also walking in humility like a child. In the same way we are born, we come to Christ…Beautiful

Most of my conversation with Dan was on the areas of struggle in our lives, but Dan is doing some amazing things at his college! His friends are asking him eternal questions, and even though Dan feels weak and suppressed at times God is working through his weakness to reach others! He is amazing and a man of God!

I want to end with a story.

Around three months ago I was at the Way (a college ministry of Solid Rock Church). I was having a bad day, and feeling empty. I was ready to listen to a message that would pour into me, and encourage me in my walk with the Lord. I found my seat and waited for the music to start, when a man smelling of weed taped me on the shoulder and gruffly said, “ so how does this @$#% work?” By the grace of God I said as lovingly as I could, “ well we sing, and then John Mark will preach, then after he talks we will sing some more, and then we all eat together. It’s all pretty awesome, really!” He grunted and sat back in his seat as I turned around. I never though much of the encounter until last Friday night… After an awesome message, the room was filled with praise in tribute to how great our God is. I was enveloped in the moment (as I often am at the way) and as I looked to my left I saw that same man in the front row praising God, and singing to How Great HE is. I could not help but cry. Because, see in one of my weak, and selfish moments God allowed me to be apart of that man’s journey into Christ’s sea of Life… Awesome.