Pride is an insidious thing, and it is easy to recognize in others while being blind to it in ourselves. A proud Christian leader is an exceptionally ugly thing.
Read the rest here:Practical Humility
Practical Humility (weekend repost)
christian living
Practical Humility
“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
(John 13:12–17, ESV)
Pride is an insidious thing, and it is easy to recognize in others while being blind to it in ourselves. A proud Christian leader is an exceptionally ugly thing.
The former slave-trader John Newton recognized that pride can even be manifest in holy things. He wrote with scathing accuracy what could have been written for the keyboard crusaders of our day:
I am afraid there are Calvinists, who, while they account it a proof of their humility that they are willing in words to debase the creature, and to give all the glory of salvation to the Lord, yet know not what manner of spirit they are of. Whatever it be that makes us trust in ourselves that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party, is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit. Self-righteousness can feed upon doctrines, as well as upon works; and a man may have the heart of a Pharisee, while his head is stored with orthodox notions of the unworthiness of the creature and the riches of free grace.
John Newton
Fighting pride is something all of us will need to do until the day we are made new. We might have correct doctrine and yet, be filled with such pride that we denigrate the God we wish to please. May the Scriptures that we prize have a deep impact upon our speech, our attitudes, and our lives so that whatever we do would bring glory to God.
Christ: No Less in the Storm as in the Sunshine
“I think it is a great lesson to learn in spiritual things, to believe in Christ and His finished salvation, quite as much as when you are down as when you are up, for Christ is not more Christ on the top of the mountain than He is in the bottom of the valley. And He is no less Christ in the storm at midnight than He is in the sunshine of the day. Do not begin to measure your safety by your comfort—but measure it by the eternal Word of God which you have believed and which you know to be true—and on which you rest, for still here, within the little world of our bosom, ‘He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap’ ” (Ecc 11:4).”
Charles H. Spurgeon (1892, Sermon 2264)
The Sweetness of Biblical Hospitality
“Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.”
(Proverbs 17:1, ESV)
I’ve had bad meals and I’ve had good meals. I’ve eaten alone, and I’ve eaten with others. Good food and good friends are the best combination. King Solomon must have hosted a lot of fancy parties in his palace. Some were no doubt with people he didn’t really like, but for political reason, he had to endure them. Other meals were perhaps more simple, but satisfying.
In Solomon’s proverb he speaks about eating a dry morsel of bread. The bread is hard and unappealing, which is only made worse because there isn’t much to eat. But this unfortunate meal is far more satisfying that a feast with certain company.
He isn’t primarily lauding the silence of the room alone, because a house filled with strife can be quiet in that awkward way where the tension is thick and nobody is speaking. The quiet Solomon says is desirable is a peacefulness of the heart and one in which there is an absence of rancor and angry yelling at others. Friendship, love, and wonderful conversation fill the room, and whatever is served on the table takes a secondary place in the meal.
It is better to eat a simple meal in the company of those that are loving than to eat a feast among those who hate you and one another. In hospitality, it is not so much the meal that is served as it is the company one keeps and how they are made to feel loved and welcomed. This is true hospitality.
Putting the Word into Practice
We are called by Scriptures to do and observe all that the Bible teaches. So, as a people who desire to be not merely hearers, but doers, I give these five applicational thoughts about how to “use” the Bible more effectively.
By saying this, I don’t mean that we should jump from reading to application. There is a very real danger in doing this improperly. There needs to be serious study and understanding of what the Bible meant to its original context and to its original audience. But in a sermon, your pastor/expositor has done this (or should have), and now, on Monday, we need to know how to put what we have learned into practice.
- Notate. Take note of application given in sermons you hear. Literally take notes! Look for what God would have you DO with his Word. Don’t just collect biblical information. Then, go back and review your notes, praying for help to obey what you have seen that he wants you to do.
- Saturate. On your own, re-read your Bible with an eye for application. This means that you need to know how to find universal principles in the Bible. These are truths that are good in every time and every culture. They are also consistent with the whole Bible.
- Categorize. Take those universal truths and begin categorizing them into useful headings as you see the need for them in your own life. Begin by setting up categories for your roles in life–Bible verses for you as a Father/Mother, as a husband/wife, as a son/daughter, as a Christian, as an employee, as a neighbor.
- Organize. Put Scriptures (and the principles that they speak of) in categories that will lend themselves to your use–such as pride, humility, gossiping, the tongue, hope, fear of man, decision making, forgiveness, etc. Some of these will be more useful to you than others, so be sure to put them on a list that you can tuck into your Bible, or even write into the end papers of your Bible so they are handy whenever you need them.
- Apply. Now, when you are having a bad day with your mouth, for example, or you keep hurting others, or maybe you’ve lost your temper–you can turn in your Bible and meditate on what God’s Word says about that issue and what you need to do. As you do this over and over, you will not only begin to remember where to go without having to look at the list, but you will slowly memorize those verses and have them available for those times of temptation when you don’t have your Bible handy.
It’s not brain surgery or rocket science, but it does take discipline and effort. Jesus said for you and I to “do and observe” His Word. If you claim that the Bible is truly your authority, then you need to know it so you can obey it. If not, then you are merely a hearer of the Word and not a doer–fooling yourself. May we never find ourselves there.
Always Reforming 