How Great I Am? There is, in many Christian circles today, a disturbing yet age old propensity toward selfism. This includes the idea that we humans have an innate self-worth; in other words, there must be SOMETHING good in us since so high a price was paid for us in Christs sacrifice of Himself upon the cross. To teach a newborn Christian this false ideology is to set him on a path of self- awareness and self- centeredness that will work against him as he tries to mature in the faith. Indeed, it has been my observation that this sort of teaching is the seedbed for motivational speaking that masquerades as Christian edification...you know, that teaching that says YOU can succeed today! (Of course, they add something about God to it, or quote some scripture out of context), or, YOU have a DESTINY OF GREATNESS (again, throwing some God in there). But consider this: An honest look at these motivational speakers will show that much of what they are teaching has, at its roots, a focus upon SELF that the Bible says is offensive to the Lord, for a life truly surrendered to Him has at its heart a focus completely away from self and, contrarily, completely fixated on Jesus-the One Who shed His blood for such worthless sinners as the likes of US! 1Cor. 1:18 declares, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. What would be foolish about a great price paid for a valuable treasure? Nothing! It would be expected! But to pay the ULTIMATE price for the most worthless of things- humans hopelessly soiled and desperately pungent in the nostrils of a Thrice Holy God- THIS, my friend, seems UTTERLY FOOLISH! The late Dave Hunt said in in his book, Beyond Seduction, The fact that John the Baptist considered himself unworthy to untie Christs sandals (Lk. 3:16) is certainly never presented in Scripture as a hindrance or as a wrong self-evaluation. Nor did He rebuke the centurian for declaring his own unworthiness to have Christ visit his home, but commended him for his great faith (Lk 7:1-10). If we accept the definition of worthiness given by one of the most highly regarded Christian psychologists- worthiness is a feeling of I am good* - then what do we do with Christs statement, There is none good but one-that is God? Pride was mankinds crowning sin, going back to Adams fall. Consequently, the propensity-the inclination- was and always will be toward pride and boasting. Add to this the DECEPTIVENESS of satan in his tactics-he is sly and subtle- and you have a dangerous, in fact poisonous, recipe! Would it not serve a more preferable purpose to remind one another of the biblical concept of humility no matter how much it grates against our psyche? Mt. 18:4 has Jesus saying, whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. A little child really has no life, as we would define it, of its own, but is instead altogether dependent on those over him to care for him and direct his life and make his decisions! That, to me, stands pretty much in direct contrast to the I can do it message that often passes for Christian edification! Folks, we must LOSE OUR LIVES....take our HANDS OFF...in order to find true Life (Mt. 10:39, 16:25)! This thing is not about the big I but rather the great and merciful God!! When we find that place of deepest humility, confessing our total lack of anything good in ourselves, a looking AWAY from self ALTOGETHER, for there is nothing attractive there, THEN will we find that God Himself shall lift us up, while at the same time keeping us in the proper position of recognition of our own utter depravity before Him, for when I am WEAK, then am I strong! *H. Norman Wright-Improving Your Self-Image pg. 68
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 22:25:27 +0000
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