I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and exhibit as nothingness, the understanding of the experts. (1 Corinthians 1:19)
When Jesus arrested me with His love, I wasn’t exactly a prize catch. And that admission is not self-abasement or false humility; it is simply an honest and fearless inventory of my condition B.C (before Christ). He doesn’t pursue us for what we bring to the ‘relational’ table. Quite the opposite!
It’s more like this, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.” (Matthew 11:25 NLV)
“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, (He) chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebody’s"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Msg)
“God is committed to the destruction of human wisdom! The cross is the culmination of God's systematic plan to subvert human wisdom and culture. He entered into conversation with humanity, as recorded in the Old Testament, progressively revealing more, but in Jesus, He fully enters the human condition in order to overthrow our wisdom from within.” (Andre Rabe)
The issue is not to put our significance down; but to elevate our sense of identity, tempered with meekness and humility. In Him and His wisdom we can live in the joy of wisdom and pride that we couldn’t know outside of Him! As James proclaimed, “if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives it liberally and upbraided not for asking”. He never tires of our coming to Him for the wisdom needed to ‘be in this world, but not of this world’.
“He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people - robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'
Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'" Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." (Luke 18:9-14 Msg)
“Pride of mine, hurry up and die so I can sing like I want to. Pride of mine, hurry up and die so I can dance like I want to. Pride of mine, hurry up and die so I can love without caution. Pride of mine, I don’t have time for you or your rules. We’ll never get this moment again. I’m gonna worship like it’s my last. We’ll never get this moment again. I’m gonna worship with all I have. Isn’t He worthy?” (David Olinger)
To put it rather bluntly; we have no business seeing problems and difficulties or looking at (ours or other) people’s behavior. We are instead in the joyful process of learning how to see with the eyes of the Father. We are seeing how to look through Jesus as the lens of God’s goodness in our life. And we’re learning to see our and others identity in Jesus.
“You veterans know the One who started it all; and you newcomers - such vitality and strength! God's word is so steady in you. Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the Evil One. Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world - wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important (living in the boastful pride of life) - has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. (1 John 2:14-17 Msg)
Oh God, thank you; you took my boastful pride of life upon yourself on Calvary. And thank you Jesus for the sweet exchange of my pride for your servant’s heart and the genuine humility that comes with it.
“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-8, NLT)
Yes, I know, you’re thinking: he was God, servitude and humility was easy for him! I can’t (as much as I try) do what he could on earth. You’re correct. Doing (your prideful self-effort) is not the issue!
Receiving and releasing are the keys! Receive His attitude! His death on the Cross was/is substitutionary. He took our place and all of the boastful pride of life upon himself! If Christ is in you, his attitude of servitude and humility are as well! Just let him out! Live from the inside-out! ‘God gives more than enough grace to the humble.’ In the grip of Christ’s servant heart! Ron Ross
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