i'm too lazy to look back through the posts
and the titles don't describe the content in detail ..
but .. i been thinkin' ..
have this thing going on in my life
and it has to do with
pride and humility
personality, both mine and other types
lifestyle
doctrine and dogma
early christianity
whatamidoingwithmylife
priorities and nonessentials and stuff to let go of
... .. .. .
a whole bunch of stuff
all dovetailing into this
i post 'humility' as a title because
at the end of the day
i think everything on the table
all those things i listed
needs to be looked at under that glass
at least for me it does ..
when you're thinking 'christianity'
to use a very broad term
and where you as a christian fit in
broadly speaking
and what your life should be like
to reflect the kind of life Jesus wants for us
how he wants us to live every day ..
.... .
that's a really broad way of looking at it ..
and that's good
because when i can get out from under
and look down on my life
kindof in an 'objective' way
sorta like if it wasn't me looking at me
then i might be able to see my self from a removed position
at arm's length
and judge better
judge my self better
i see the broad sweep of my life
rather than seeing the brush strokes
.... .. . .. .
and i see me needing to
love
more than anything
and i see me needing to
serve
and to give my self
wholeheartedly unreservedly
to the cause Jesus championed ..
reconciliation ..
to put it in broad terms
= servant ..
that reconciliation
is most tangible
when i seek to see God's will done on Earth as it is done in Heaven
and move my self in that direction
that will is most clearly and vibrantly seen
in the life of Jesus
God among us
with us
Immanu-el
. .. . .... .
so i am to move my self in line with that
adjust me to fit in that broad scope of life
and check Jesus for his example ...
i am his disciple
from there
i see me serving
particularly the hurting
in whatever form
looking for healing and reconciliation for them ..
and in the doing of that
i begin to find my self
selah ..~
behind that service
i need to be living a lifestyle that allows for that
that fosters that
that makes everything else secondary
that lifestyle should fire my service
for the kingdom of God
so that i should be spendthrift
waste less
consume less
live simpler
focus on needs and unfocus on wants
as in mine
provide leftovers for me to be able to share
as in with others
drown out the idols of possessions and worldy comfort
and take that slack up with helping the hurting in their needs
out of their hurts
into the circle of reconciliation
in the name of Jesus
for the glory of God
.. . . . . . .
that's tough stuff
for a westerner
for a person in the top 10% of the planet's wealthy ..
that calls for a lot of unmaking me ..
a lot
selah ..~
there's where the humility thingy comes in ..
in order for this broad-brush philosophy of life to overtake me
i got to start with
undoing my self ..
from my understanding of humility
that involves bringing my self into reality
a right estimation of who i am
with all my characteristics
my talents
my spiritual gifts
my weaknesses
my failures
my sin(s)
lying naked before me
and understanding that
that is me
that right there
is
me
...
seeing me lying there
naked
i own that
and then i take that me
and lay me out before God
in the face of Jesus my master-teacher
and ask for reconciliation
for renewal
for energy ..
point being
if i am to be used for the kingdom
i don't want the pretence
i don't want the pharisee
i don't want the facade
i want
me ..
so that me becomes a changed me
in the face of Jesus
for the kingdom
and the glory of God
so that i
recreated
humbly acknowledge me
and am in a position to be used
by God
in spreading his love to others
a loooong way around to saying this ..
i am me
i need to see me and know me and acknowledge me
= humility
only then can Jesus change me
recreate
only then do i allow Jesus to shine through me
and i acknowledge new me as i am in reality
= humilty
i'm no good to anyone
particularly the hurting
if i am not me
the real me ..
even broken me
selah ..~
in that vein ..
i need to create alonetime
and this is critical ..
it's not an option
it's a precondition ..
selah ..~
time for centreing
time for re-creation
time for reflection
for relaxation
for zoning out the world
and melting into my zone
time for meditation
on me
on God
on balance
on being real
time for allowing God in
to me
to change me
undo me
chisel
cut out
mend
fix
tweak me
renew me
inspire
energize
illuminate me ...
if i do not do this
regularly
i place at risk the very me that God wants to use
for reconciliation
and for the progressive advancement of his kingdom in the Earth
get that
let that simmer there for a minute ..
selah ..~
to not
is a diss' to humilty
damage to the kingdom
injury to the Body of Messiah
fail
and that is my point
precisely my point
i can posture
and postulate
pose
and position myself ..
and all that is a waste of time
a waste of energy
and very unhumble
and it's a tug on the guilt line
for me to think i'm being selfish in aloneness
to feel i'm fostering my independence at the expense of 'community'
to call me out for it
as if i'm being me-ish
vain
dissin' Jesus
undervaluing others
hurting the Body
not committed ..
in fact
it's diametrically opposed ..
selah ..~
in order for me to be the little-finger God designs for me to be
in the Body
or the ear
or the nose
i need to be healthy
as in shalom
the point of the Body
is to be in shalom
all its constituent parts healthy and in sync
working efficiently and effectively
as a whole
to strengthen
to mature the whole Body
growing up into the Head of the Body
who is Messiah Jesus
if i am broken (little-finger)
or have wax in my ear
or am congested
then i am actually holding the body back
being a draw on the resources
moving the Body's attention away from its intentional direction ..
i must be humbly inzone
settled in my self
centred in master Jesus
balanced
in order for me to be the Body part i am gifted to be
contributing to the shalom of the Body
moving the Body into wholeness and fullness
so the Body can do Jesus' bidding in the Earth
anything else is fail, mate
that is the Way
of following the greatest commandments
in which all the Law and the Prophets are contained .. all ..
- love the Lord your God
with all your heart soul mind strength
- love your neighbour
as much as you love yourself
see the tie-in ?
the importance of loving yourself in balance ?
for the less you love yourself the less you are able to love your neighbour ..
you lower the standard
you simply can't love people until you love yourself
for you, my friend, are created in the image and likeness of God himself ..
get that ..
that's my take on being humble
a realistic understanding and acknowledgement of who i am
looking to be mastered by Jesus
matured by Jesus as part of the Body
in the Body
for the community-at-large ..
that is the priority of the Church of Messiah Jesus
and on a bodypart level
that requires aloneness
solitude
regularly
so i can
clarify
simplify
balance
centre
don't undo you ..
humble you
for Jesus' sake
for the glory of God
shalom
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