epiphone8

I think one reason the church of centuries past and still today gets in its own way is believing that Christianity has to look a certain way. I don’t mean faithful and sound doctrine but appearance. Appearance of dress, appearance of worship, etc. An Ethiopian Orthodox worship service is going to look far different than an evangelical worship service in Dallas Texas, but both honor God. People often struggle to get outside their comfort zone and can fall into the trap of imposing their culture on another instead of simply sharing the good news and letting the Holy Spirit do the work. With faithful teaching to new believers amazing things can happen and Jesus will guide his sheep as needed.

If Paul had not corrected this issue his work in Antioch could have potentially been in vain if the new believers were left without a true understanding of the faith. I suspect he didn’t discuss it with Peter privately otherwise later calling Peter out publicly on a matter that they had already discussed would have been in poor form. Unless of course Peter denied any wrongdoing. By Paul calling Peter out publicly in front of both Jews and Gentiles he set everyone straight and got them all on the same page. It was surely not an easy thing to do but the most efficient approach.

Peter is an interesting character. I think he was concerned about his reputation being smeared and criticism from the Jewish Christians. Perhaps he was worried that if his reputation took a hit it would hinder the still small and growing Christian movement, leading him to fear he would let Christ down. Of course, that fear would be out of step with trusting fully in the power of God. Sometimes I wonder on what reasoning Jesus chose Peter as the rock to build his church. Maybe it’s because he knew Peter had weaknesses and it’s in our weakness that Jesus shows his strength. The scriptures repeatedly show how God does amazing things through flawed people. I think Barnabas likely wanted to keep the peace and went along with what he saw a more authoritative Christian (Peter) doing. I’ve certainly been guilty of hypocrisy before, and when caught in it we can either humble ourselves and repent or deny it and feed into the sin of pride.

It’s incredibly easy to fall into traps that misconstrue God’s truth. This creates a state of fear and replaces Jesus’ strength and glory with our own ego. That obviously could lead to a weak faith that doesn’t serve God’s kingdom - exactly what the devil wants! Regular prayer, fasting, and asking the Holy Spirit to guide us are crucial. Trust in Christ alone (not my own weakness) and he will make my paths straight.

Jesus gave all of himself, living the life that I could not live and taking the punishment for the sin of all who trust in him so that we might be made holy and reconciled with God. He rescues people the same today just as he did 2000 years ago, through the supernatural power of God’s word. The Holy Spirit has given me the strength to shed destructive habits that I never could before. While sharing my testimony once I said it was like someone else’s was doing for me what I could never do for myself. It’s up to me though to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and regularly pray and read the Bible. I must abide in him [Jesus].

I desire to live according to the way Christ calls me to. Whereas in my old life it was never a desire. My thoughts, passions, and motivations are less and less focused on the flesh and worldly pursuits and more on submission to God. I find myself becoming less judgmental but I know that I still have much growing ahead of me. One of my biggest obstacles is patience, forbearance, and gentleness when presented with difficult people or life’s annoyances. In those times I confess my sins to God in prayer and ask for him to help me live in a way that glorifies him.

To have a spirit of forgiveness towards others we must be humble. The Lord’s prayer states it very clearly, if we are to ask God to forgive all our sins we must show the same mercy to others. If we’re unforgiving that shows a prideful heart. We have judicial systems in place to bring justice to wrongdoings. They’re not perfect but they help to maintain order in society. Regardless of a judicial system’s effectiveness, vengeance is not ours. We’re called to forgive and trust in God’s ultimate perfect justice.

When we take on a judgmental spirit we inflate our own pride and hinder our ability to love others. This compromises our use in God’s kingdom and ultimately robs God of glory! We should use discernment as love does not rejoice in wrongdoing but a lack of mercy and grace on our part can choke our spiritual growth.

When I think about patience and humility I think of the ministry of Jesus and the patience he continued to show the disciples even when they argued with each other and had little faith. I also think of how patient God has been with me, despite my decades of rebellion against him. I pray that he will grant me this humility towards others. Forbearance helps to refine and strengthen our patience. We only learn to be patient when things don’t go our way. I could certainly point out every annoyance with my wife or snap back when she’s in the wrong but that isn’t showing love to my spouse, nor is it in the spirit of humility. God has forgiven my offenses and I must be quick to forgive as well.

Humility is related in respect to others in not placing ourselves over others but recognizing them as an equal creation of God. I’m not sure it is possible to minister to someone who you don’t respect on the basic level of being a human made by God and in need of God’s grace, just as we all are. This doesn’t mean you have to agree with them or even like them, but insulting speech makes the other person less than and inflates our pride. Interrupting someone points out our own sense of self importance.

Humbling ourselves before God means putting away our will and seeking God’s will as the highest calling. This will naturally mean casting aside certain behaviors or pursuits that hinder our spiritual growth. This humility and rejection of worldly things can be a stumbling block for many people. It certainly was for the rich young ruler. But through God all things are possible if we will only trust Him. There are things Christ will call each of us to give up if we are to be his disciples but the bread of life that he offers is satisfies completely.

I think the old business adage of “putting the customer first” applies to how Christians should approach business. Over inflating our credentials or what we can provide is deceptive. Our experience and achievements should be presented in an honest way with transparency that lends itself to the customer’s peace of mind that we have their best interest at heart - not our ego.

Flattery is not okay. For the one giving it, even if the praised qualities of the individual are true because there’s an element of insincerity it’s deceptive. For the person receiving it, flattery strokes pride that if left unchecked can spring forth a host of sins, pulling that person and others away from God.

I think ambition in leadership perhaps involves considering others while in pursuit of an outcome. Will a leadership strategy or goal lift others up or will it be to their detriment? If a greater good that honors God isn’t at the heart of the leadership then it’s misplaced ambition. Leadership that lacks ambition is bound to get sidetracked or falter when obstacles arise.

Moses was completely dependent on God’s provision and strength from his first dealings with pharaoh all through his leading of the Hebrews through the wilderness. He and his entire people were dependent on him submitting to God. Likewise, Jesus said he was dependent on the Father to fulfill his mission. Both of them were focused not on exalting themselves but on serving others as called by God. I think we can mirror this humility in leadership by looking to God for guidance, wisdom and strength, not exalting our egos but serving the needs of those we lead.

I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians where we’re called to examine ourselves daily to check we remain in the faith. It can be incredibly easy to fall into the trap of charity because it makes us feel good. While I don’t believe that feeling to be itself sinful, when that becomes the motive of our serving it becomes about self and that is a problem. I think this one way our hearts can deceive us. It’s easy to develop a sense of pride just as Jesus describes the white washed tombs of the pharisees. When we give, whether in secret or in the presence of others, it should always be to show the love of Christ and to him should go the glory.

I think the parallel between the parable of the cup of water and the sheep is if we are following Christ we will see the needs of others and seek to meet them, even if in a small way. Throughout the gospels Jesus is constantly showing compassion to those on the outer fringes and lifting others up. We should do the same. My church asked everyone during a service to put together a small food bag that can be given to the needy. I’ve since made a habit of keeping a bag with some water and snacks in my car in case I see someone who needs it. I always share a kind word and let the person know that Jesus loves them when offering it.

I think this was another one of Jesus’ examples of living out what he preached. He didn’t merely tell them a parable but brought them into it. He humbled himself to perform a lowly task out of love to show his disciples how they should live and serve. If we abide in Him then we too can humbly walk in the light of Jesus and serve him and others with humility and love.