At times truth is difficult to accept because it presents something about ourselves. You can see King David who immediately judges a situation correctly without realizing the situation is a parable about himself.
It is not that truth is difficult to understand, but rather that it is easy to take truth selectively. To only think of the facts that make us look good.
It is of course our nature of sin which wishes to hide the truth from ourselves. Having the honest to admit the truth is refreshing.
We are not perfect. We are accepted by a God who knows we are not perfect.
Denying our flaws and weaknesses does nothing other than to prevent us from growing. When we are weak we are strong.
It is not that weakness is strength, but that if we think we are strong we fail to understand. The greatest of people is not immune to sudden illness or accident. When we feel strong we are weak, because we lack the humility to realize that life is not fully in our control and that we must rest on God for strength.
Showing posts with label weakness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weakness. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Reasonable Standards
The bible tells us that we will be judge by the standard of which we judge others. It seems quite fair and simple.
It is fair, but it is not simple. The more we really think of the meaning of the principle the more we see how often we fail.
We constantly tell others not to assume, but we constantly assume ourselves. We criticize others for missing details in their work, but we do not focus on the details in our own work.
It takes many forms, but we are often harder on others than we are on our self. Often the principles of the bible only seem easy because we lack the spiritual discernment to see our lack.
God's grace is overflowing for our lack. He knows our weakness and need for growth. We live day by day by grace even as we grow in the knowledge of our weakness.
It is fair, but it is not simple. The more we really think of the meaning of the principle the more we see how often we fail.
We constantly tell others not to assume, but we constantly assume ourselves. We criticize others for missing details in their work, but we do not focus on the details in our own work.
It takes many forms, but we are often harder on others than we are on our self. Often the principles of the bible only seem easy because we lack the spiritual discernment to see our lack.
God's grace is overflowing for our lack. He knows our weakness and need for growth. We live day by day by grace even as we grow in the knowledge of our weakness.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Weakness Is Strength in God
When we are weak we are strong according to God. At first is makes no sense when we read such words in scripture. But scripture always proves itself right in the end if we dwell on it long enough.
You see when we feel strong we are quite foolish. We are frail if we know it or not. The strongest athlete and the richest man in the world are vulnerable and frail. Often we see "great men" express hubris of their invincibility, but we are frail. Maybe today we are strong but in the end we all succumb to death.
When we admit our weakness we admit the truth. When we feel we are strong we are in delusion. It is God who gives and takes strength. God who gives and takes success.
We often feel that we can succeed apart from God and it may appear for a time to be so although it is not true ultimately or in the short term. Admitting weakness is accepting the truth that it is God behind all good things.
When we feel strong we are in delusion. When we feel weak and turn to God we admit the truth and in that moment we understand reality correctly. God is the strength behind all things and when we admit the truth we understand reality as it is.
You see when we feel strong we are quite foolish. We are frail if we know it or not. The strongest athlete and the richest man in the world are vulnerable and frail. Often we see "great men" express hubris of their invincibility, but we are frail. Maybe today we are strong but in the end we all succumb to death.
When we admit our weakness we admit the truth. When we feel we are strong we are in delusion. It is God who gives and takes strength. God who gives and takes success.
We often feel that we can succeed apart from God and it may appear for a time to be so although it is not true ultimately or in the short term. Admitting weakness is accepting the truth that it is God behind all good things.
When we feel strong we are in delusion. When we feel weak and turn to God we admit the truth and in that moment we understand reality correctly. God is the strength behind all things and when we admit the truth we understand reality as it is.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Hope for the Weak: Sanctification
Post by
Michelle Dowell, Contributor
God will continue and finish the good work in each one of us that he started, the Bible says (Phil. 1:6). When a person sees a personal area of weakness that continues to be that way, it can be disheartening to that person.
It may be a desire for more patience, less worry, or some other godly trait. Even though there might be some growth over time, there's that trap of comparison to others and a concept of perfection.
But the good news is that it's not our power alone that can help us grow. God is working in this world, in our hearts at times. If we believe in the sovereignty of God, it's not hard to believe that God has power to help each one of us grow over time (sanctification), and he says he will. Sanctification is the term for this, one word that means a sentence full of words.
If we are truly Christian, he promises to help us. The good work won't be complete until he returns, but we will be growing over time--possibly a step back here and there, but overall in the end farther than where we started.
If we are truly Christian, God's love for us and our love and gratitude to him makes us want to grow and be less weak. Our faith sometimes shows us our weakness more clearly: We care more deeply and therefore see more deeply.
It also means that it's a process. Wherever we go, there are ads selling us things that we hope will make us truly happy or solve some problem permanently. Whether or not that's the case for the product, this is not the case for our lives. There's no quick fix or total perfection gained at any point. But we don't need to be perfect to be loved, to be told "well done."
Michelle Dowell, Contributor
God will continue and finish the good work in each one of us that he started, the Bible says (Phil. 1:6). When a person sees a personal area of weakness that continues to be that way, it can be disheartening to that person.
It may be a desire for more patience, less worry, or some other godly trait. Even though there might be some growth over time, there's that trap of comparison to others and a concept of perfection.
But the good news is that it's not our power alone that can help us grow. God is working in this world, in our hearts at times. If we believe in the sovereignty of God, it's not hard to believe that God has power to help each one of us grow over time (sanctification), and he says he will. Sanctification is the term for this, one word that means a sentence full of words.
If we are truly Christian, he promises to help us. The good work won't be complete until he returns, but we will be growing over time--possibly a step back here and there, but overall in the end farther than where we started.
If we are truly Christian, God's love for us and our love and gratitude to him makes us want to grow and be less weak. Our faith sometimes shows us our weakness more clearly: We care more deeply and therefore see more deeply.
It also means that it's a process. Wherever we go, there are ads selling us things that we hope will make us truly happy or solve some problem permanently. Whether or not that's the case for the product, this is not the case for our lives. There's no quick fix or total perfection gained at any point. But we don't need to be perfect to be loved, to be told "well done."
Saturday, July 19, 2014
The Forgotten Cause of Perfectionism
Post by
Michelle Dowell, Contributor
When people write on perfectionism and how to improve, they forget about what drives it the most, the biggest force behind it: Pride.
It's evident that the world is not perfect. People are not perfect. Even computers or machines aren't perfect. Databases and computers have corrupted data over time simply from normal use. Machines break down.
Yet the perfectionist sees the imperfections in everyday life but still demands perfection of oneself. Why? Because of a refusal to trust in what one sees and knows, because they are so focused on proving that they are worth being loved or worth something, or deserve to keep or earn certain things. The focus is very intense on themselves and no one else in moments of perfectionism.
Our purpose isn't to prove that we are perfect or can create or do things perfectly. That's impossible, but it's also impossible to earn worth. We get that from Christ. In God's sovereignty we are often where we are because of God, too. We didn't necessarily earn our jobs or family or accomplishments. We had some big part in it, but ultimately, it's God's working in our hearts and the things around us that "earns" the place we are. He brings together people. We were in the right place at the right time.
It's time to stop focusing on ourselves, how we measure up, and just let it go. It's a difficult transition, but it's a time to rejoice, too, in God's willingness to be in the messiness of life, to reach down and let us know he loves us. A time to laugh at ourselves at times and recognize our weakness means we need God most of all and others too--people have different strengths than us.
Michelle Dowell, Contributor
When people write on perfectionism and how to improve, they forget about what drives it the most, the biggest force behind it: Pride.
It's evident that the world is not perfect. People are not perfect. Even computers or machines aren't perfect. Databases and computers have corrupted data over time simply from normal use. Machines break down.
Yet the perfectionist sees the imperfections in everyday life but still demands perfection of oneself. Why? Because of a refusal to trust in what one sees and knows, because they are so focused on proving that they are worth being loved or worth something, or deserve to keep or earn certain things. The focus is very intense on themselves and no one else in moments of perfectionism.
Our purpose isn't to prove that we are perfect or can create or do things perfectly. That's impossible, but it's also impossible to earn worth. We get that from Christ. In God's sovereignty we are often where we are because of God, too. We didn't necessarily earn our jobs or family or accomplishments. We had some big part in it, but ultimately, it's God's working in our hearts and the things around us that "earns" the place we are. He brings together people. We were in the right place at the right time.
It's time to stop focusing on ourselves, how we measure up, and just let it go. It's a difficult transition, but it's a time to rejoice, too, in God's willingness to be in the messiness of life, to reach down and let us know he loves us. A time to laugh at ourselves at times and recognize our weakness means we need God most of all and others too--people have different strengths than us.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Biblical Sadness
There is a sadness which is biblical. Jesus wept and cried.
Often the church wishes to distance itself from sorrow. The Christian must always be happy.
Paul described himself as sorrowful but always rejoicing. You see the world is difficult and as Christians we are called to live in and participate in the world.
Often the sense that Christians must always be happy is simply to say that Christians must live in a state of delusion. We are not meant to be happy at all things.
We are meant to have joy which is a deep seated satisfaction in God even in sorrow. Sometimes even this fails, but you see it is not the end.
It is true faith to say, "Lord I believe help my unbelief." We know we love God when we walk through hardship.
You see anyone can say they love God if they have never faced pain and suffering but when we continue to love God when it does not from the worlds perspective make sense our faith is most clearly seen as real.
This is why the bible always says that when we are weak we are strong. You see in our weakness we live by faith. Our strength is Jesus fully man and fully God forever. When we rest in him we are strong.
Often the church wishes to distance itself from sorrow. The Christian must always be happy.
Paul described himself as sorrowful but always rejoicing. You see the world is difficult and as Christians we are called to live in and participate in the world.
Often the sense that Christians must always be happy is simply to say that Christians must live in a state of delusion. We are not meant to be happy at all things.
We are meant to have joy which is a deep seated satisfaction in God even in sorrow. Sometimes even this fails, but you see it is not the end.
It is true faith to say, "Lord I believe help my unbelief." We know we love God when we walk through hardship.
You see anyone can say they love God if they have never faced pain and suffering but when we continue to love God when it does not from the worlds perspective make sense our faith is most clearly seen as real.
This is why the bible always says that when we are weak we are strong. You see in our weakness we live by faith. Our strength is Jesus fully man and fully God forever. When we rest in him we are strong.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)