True Humility produces ?
11th S after Trinity A True Dose of Humility which produces?
" In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late. "
Closer Walk, December, 1991.
Jesus says that humility is a part of being knowing Him. Luke 18 he tells the story of 2 men. "For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. " The word humbles himself means " low lying" in the original language, humble in spirit . If we are to be like Christ, and we are ,listen to Matthew 11:29 , " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart ..."
The question of our humility then should ask, " What does humility look like in real time in our lives and in our church?" Would it include things like patience , love , concern, honesty ( integrity), endurance , and the fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5 :22 The text that I was thinking about this week that talks about one of those things is Luke 21 :19 ," In your patience possess ye your souls."
Here the word patience is the word endurance, or bearing under. Romans 12:12 says we as Christians ought to be , " Rejoicing in hope: patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" Hebrews 10:36 echoes this when it says of believers in Christ, " For ye have need of patience, that , after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
True patience is waiting without worrying.
C. Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 124.
But in the world of instant messaging ( IM), tweets and Twitter, Facebook messaging, and Facebook itself we are drawn into a world without much thought. We reply / or message instantly because the other person thinks it ought to come that way , and we have been trained to do that as well.
What would happen if we stayed off of it for part of the day? Let people call us if they need us , or even better send a letter to your friend in the mail with thoughts behind them . That requires a postage stamp!
We have been conditioned to feel that our time is so valuable that we will never ever stand in a line again. It becomes an emotion of impatience. We must have things done well and right apart from the actual person and their feelings. Do it right, or don't do it at all we think. Why is this person in this position? We become so impatient with others who cannot do this or that to our satisfaction forgetting that God takes years to make an oak but a squash is made much quicker in the garden.
Reflection is an ancient art we do not need to practice we feel. That takes time and thought so we toss it out. Forget prayer because that has to be a total waste of time we say to ourselves. No one is better we feel at our deepest moments for it. Yet most doctors recognize that prayer and meditation reduce stress levels, and people who practice their faith live longer and happier lives. But we may read about it in " Reader's Digest" but neglect to apply it. They even have articles with the truth of what we have been saying about prayer, forgiveness, yielding to others, practicing hospitality. No we say. Those things are not for us. We would rather just control others by our tempers, our impatience, and our lack of love for what is best.
Jesus rebukes the Pharisee and the religious leaders in this story today. They pray with themselves. God is not the object of their faith and love. Something else is though. That is the person they see in the mirror. Self adulation is the new religion of our day . My mother used to have a saying, " Haste makes waste" & " Let's sit down and talk and have a cup of tea about this or that instead of getting angry at each other." That saved my bacon more than once when my mother was alive.
One of my favorite things is the Scripture embroidery done by my wife Vanessa when I was in the Army my first tour and I was struggling with the new schedule, the light infantry and the demands of the Army in so many ways. She had done an embroidery and it hung on my wall in the office in the back of the Chapel with the rest of the Battalion Chaplains, " ( Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: ) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40: 30-31
" In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn't a technology problem like radar malfunction--or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship's presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late. "
Closer Walk, December, 1991.
Jesus says that humility is a part of being knowing Him. Luke 18 he tells the story of 2 men. "For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. " The word humbles himself means " low lying" in the original language, humble in spirit . If we are to be like Christ, and we are ,listen to Matthew 11:29 , " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart ..."
The question of our humility then should ask, " What does humility look like in real time in our lives and in our church?" Would it include things like patience , love , concern, honesty ( integrity), endurance , and the fruit of the Spirit? Galatians 5 :22 The text that I was thinking about this week that talks about one of those things is Luke 21 :19 ," In your patience possess ye your souls."
Here the word patience is the word endurance, or bearing under. Romans 12:12 says we as Christians ought to be , " Rejoicing in hope: patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" Hebrews 10:36 echoes this when it says of believers in Christ, " For ye have need of patience, that , after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
True patience is waiting without worrying.
C. Swindoll, Growing Strong, p. 124.
But in the world of instant messaging ( IM), tweets and Twitter, Facebook messaging, and Facebook itself we are drawn into a world without much thought. We reply / or message instantly because the other person thinks it ought to come that way , and we have been trained to do that as well.
What would happen if we stayed off of it for part of the day? Let people call us if they need us , or even better send a letter to your friend in the mail with thoughts behind them . That requires a postage stamp!
We have been conditioned to feel that our time is so valuable that we will never ever stand in a line again. It becomes an emotion of impatience. We must have things done well and right apart from the actual person and their feelings. Do it right, or don't do it at all we think. Why is this person in this position? We become so impatient with others who cannot do this or that to our satisfaction forgetting that God takes years to make an oak but a squash is made much quicker in the garden.
Reflection is an ancient art we do not need to practice we feel. That takes time and thought so we toss it out. Forget prayer because that has to be a total waste of time we say to ourselves. No one is better we feel at our deepest moments for it. Yet most doctors recognize that prayer and meditation reduce stress levels, and people who practice their faith live longer and happier lives. But we may read about it in " Reader's Digest" but neglect to apply it. They even have articles with the truth of what we have been saying about prayer, forgiveness, yielding to others, practicing hospitality. No we say. Those things are not for us. We would rather just control others by our tempers, our impatience, and our lack of love for what is best.
Jesus rebukes the Pharisee and the religious leaders in this story today. They pray with themselves. God is not the object of their faith and love. Something else is though. That is the person they see in the mirror. Self adulation is the new religion of our day . My mother used to have a saying, " Haste makes waste" & " Let's sit down and talk and have a cup of tea about this or that instead of getting angry at each other." That saved my bacon more than once when my mother was alive.
One of my favorite things is the Scripture embroidery done by my wife Vanessa when I was in the Army my first tour and I was struggling with the new schedule, the light infantry and the demands of the Army in so many ways. She had done an embroidery and it hung on my wall in the office in the back of the Chapel with the rest of the Battalion Chaplains, " ( Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: ) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40: 30-31
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