Do you place your hope in Jesus? Or do you tend to place your hope in yourself?
Being Humble is Sexy
I’m reading a book by John Dickson titled Humilitas. It’s a book about the virtue of being humble. So far, it’s incredibly insightful. It explores historical examples of the incredibly humble and the incredibly prideful and explains the practical benefits of being humble. One of the best lines in the book, attributed to C. S Lewis, is that “humility is NOT thinking less of ourselves, but thinking about ourselves less”.
Nooma Bullhorn Video – “Mr. Bullhorn guy, put the bullhorn down!”
This “Bullhorn” video is one in a series of nooma videos (www.nooma.com) created by a non-profit film company called Flannel, features pastor, speaker, and author Rob Bell. Rob Bell wrote the book “Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith”. In this video, Rob Bell suggests that old-church self-righteous style, yelling “you are going to burn in hell” from a bullhorn isn’t effective.
Whether you believe in “coming judgment” soap box preaching, street corner preaching, or bullhorn preaching or not, we must ask the question: Does it help bring people to salvation or does it turn more people away from us? Changing the Face of Christianity agrees with Rob on this point. We must engage with people in love (not hate or judgment) if we are to reach them. And we can’t love with an agenda…it must be authentic, real, and unconditional love.
And let me answer a common argument FOR the use of bullhorn tactics. Some people have commented that IF someone was about to fall into a hole and you didn’t yell at them to stop and try to save them, you are NOT being loving. Since we are playing hypothetical, imagine the person is deaf and blind (the reason they are likely to fall into the hole), you can use a bullhorn all day long, but they will still fall. Wouldn’t it be better to join them on their walk, hold their hand, steer them around such dangerous obstacles, feed them, care for them, and love them?
Watch the video and tell us what you think.
Chris The Perfectly Intolerant Superficial Christian
Chris, the perfectly intolerant Christian will talk to anyway, especially the “lost” and “hell bound”
Websters defines a stereotypical Christian as superficial and intolerant. Well not really, but let me introduce you to someone who fits that description. His name is Chris.
The Stereotype
You’ll notice Chris straight away because he always carries his Bible close to his chest in one of those fancy leather covers with a massive cross on the front. He always smiling and very outgoing. He will talk to anyone, especially the “lost” and “hell bound”.
I do have to warn you about a couple of things. For a start, he rushes through pleasantries so he can tell you his redemption story. Once he’s done this, he turns everything you say back to God, and quotes scripture too (that includes when you ask him if he wants a coffee). If you have anything negative happening in your life, he’ll tell you it is the result of sin and will begin praying over you.
No Cussing Aloud
Oh, and whatever you do – don’t cuss around him. And when I say cussing I don’t mean dropping the f-bomb. I mean any word that would be even slightly offensive to a toddler. Because if you utter even the slightest naughty word, he will instantly fall to his knees, command Satan to leave you and start pleading for your soul.
Does he sound familiar? That’s the stereotypical Christian isn’t it? Chris the perfectly intolerant superficial Christian is the person many people picture when they think of someone living the Christian faith.
Let’s Not Be Superficial
I’m not a stereotypical Christian. I’m not a completely mature Christian and I don’t know the Bible inside out. But I’m pretty sure the Bible doesn’t tell us this is how we should act. In fact, I’m pretty sure we are told multiple times that God chooses us as we are, that we should come to Him as we are and pray to Him bringing nothing but our true selves; to remain humble and not judge or condemn others. Somehow we read this, find comfort in it, thinking it’s just for us, then place the Bible down and proceed to create this fake, intolerant Christian stereotype.
I know a lot of people living for Christ who won’t even call themselves Christian’s. They know all too well the stereotypes that come with it.
Let’s Be Real
I am a follower of Christ trying to live my life authentically. I want to be REAL and live as an imperfect human following Christ. I want to show not just what is considered acceptable, but show God’s grace and His gift of redemption, through my flaws, in a way my words or any stereotype ever could.
It’s not enough to say that the Lord will heal, if we pretend accepting Christ exempts us from pain.
It’s not enough to say the Lord forgives all, if we hide our failures.
It’s not enough to say we are Christians, and hide that we are human and loved anyway.
People will never come to God if they believe they have to be perfect to do so.People will never come to God if they believe they have to be perfect to do so.
What God Asks of Us
The only thing God asks us to do is to show His love to others and to lead them to Him. Where are we leading them if we hide behind the “perfect Christian” stereotype? Let’s drop the stereotype and just live authentic Christian lives, full of flaws, full of pains, full of failure. Then, let’s rest in Him who loves us as we are, and share that love with others.
By Suzanne Physick. Read Suzanne’s Bio below.
Being Smug and Self-Righteous Comes Naturally
Being Smug and Self-Righteous Comes Naturally
It’s easy to be smug. Being self-righteous seems to be so easy and natural.
God is clear about the type of attitude He seeks; humility.
Let’s hear from God word on this issue. And for those of you new to the Bible, Pharisee’s were priests and religious teachers considered by the Jewish people to be most righteous. Tax collectors on the other hand were considered no better than common thieves because as they collected taxes from their own people, they often collected more than was due for their own personal gain.
Luke 18:9-14, About Pharisee’s and Tax Collectors
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (ESV)
God Wants Humble, Not Self-Righteous Followers
Summary of Luke 18:9-14: It’s better to be a humble sinner, than to think of yourself as better than anyone else. If you think highly of yourself and have a big ego, you will eventually be corrected and humbled by God. If you realize your actual situation is that of a sinner, unworthy of God’s approval through your own efforts, you will be exalted by God. If you recognize your own sinful nature and do not pretend to be better in God’s eyes (or any man’s eyes), you show yourself to be the type of person that God truly approves of.
King David in the Old Testament was “a man after God’s own heart”, even though he was a murderer and adulterer. Why? Because he recognized his sinful ways. He confessed openly to God about his own depravity.
My Confession
I too have been tempted to glorify myself and think I’m better than other people
Now, here is my own confession. I need to hear this over and over again. I too have been tempted to glorify myself and think I’m better than other people. This of course is not true. I am like everyone else; no better. The Holy Spirit has convicted me that maintaining a haughty attitude is a destructive path.
I seek God’s glory, not my own. I seek God’s approval, not the approval of men. Luke 18:9-14 is exactly what I need to hear. I need correction anytime I start to think of myself as better than others. I expect the Holy Spirit to correct me every time.
My Prayer
God, be merciful to me, a sinner! As I do your work, please help me to do it in your power and for your glory…not my own. Lord, increase my humility and shield me from the evil one. Father God, protect me from evil and selfish desires, and the sinful desires of my own ego. I confess I don’t always think as you think on these issues. God, renew my mind and help me to daily be more like Jesus Christ in my attitudes and behaviors.
I will trust in you alone God and humble myself so you don’t have to. I will put away my self-righteous attitude. God, I will seek your glory and approval, and reject the approval of men. Amen!