Yesterday and today have been spent fine-tuning our plans for the mission trip. Our mission isn’t what most people picture when they hear “mission trip.” It isn’t directly evangelistic in nature, nor is it building houses, or providing medical care. Instead, we are providing childcare for European missionaries’ children while they enjoy a conference.
It is an annual event that most of these “third culture” kids look forward to. It is the only time they have to spend with kids in a similar situation to theirs. Not to mention, with just a larger group of English-speaking Christian kids.
“You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do….. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” — Psalm 139:3,5
Our team, 17 of us from Salt Lake City and seven from Colorado, embarked on this past Thursday afternoon. A five-hour delay in Salt Lake caused us to miss our connection in Paris. We heard the news on the 10-hour flight across the Atlantic that our team would have to be split up. One group went from Paris to Vienna, another from Paris to Frankfurt. After factoring in customs and even longer layovers, it was hard not to feel disheartened.
Happy New Year! Once again, one year ends while another one takes its place. It’s a never-ending cycle. As I was reading through Revelation, something really stood out to me. When Jesus comes to make all things new, it will be the end of the “out with the old and in with the new” mentality we’ve all known.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” — Revelation 21:1-3
“Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.“ — Proverbs 18:12
“For Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.” -Timothy Keller
Christian, when we walk in humility, we walk within the circle of God’s blessing. The world tells us that we need more power, money, fame, position, praise, more…more…more! The Bible, however, actually calls a person like that a leech. The world is a leech!
“The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” — Proverbs 30:15
You see, God’s plan is the exact opposite of the world’s way. In the world, it’s always about more of me, more of me, and more of me. By contrast, the Lord tells us something else. We find true joy in thinking not less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves LESS.
Pride is indeed competitive by its very nature. If I am a proud person, then as long as there is one person in the world more powerful, richer, or smarter than I am, that person is my rival and enemy. Pride always means division and separation. Not only between people but also between us and God.
What It Is
To be humble, however, is to recognize that you don’t always need to be correct. To be humble is to realize that you certainly don’t know everything. To be humble is to remember you can apologize when you’re wrong. To be humble is to recognize that you can finally stop pretending to be the best at everything. To be humble means you can absolutely have real friendships without having to “prove” yourself.
The point of humility is that God wants you to know Him. But pride always gets in the way of that. He wants to give you Himself. And when you know Him, you will inevitably be humble — wonderfully humble! As a matter of fact, you will feel infinite relief. The relief of finally getting rid of all the silly nonsense of your inflated ego. It has only made you restless and unhappy all your life.
For now, think about this. God is good, and He loves you. He wants what leads to your greatest joy. So, if He tells you that pride leads to destruction, by all means, we must learn to listen and obey. Therein lies true joy.
This week, consider thinking of yourself less. Consider not fighting for first place but being content to be last. Not surprisingly, this is a pathway to joy.
“ALL means ALL, and that’s ALL ALL means.” If you’ve been going to The Rock Church for very long, you have probably heard this catchy saying. And you’ve also probably heard that today is Election Day. Perhaps, if you’re like me, you may even feel a sense of relief that this day has finally arrived.
The current political environment reminds me of the time an undertow in the ocean caught me. I am a capable swimmer but I felt somewhat out of control as the waves tossed me head over heels under the water. As the tide rolled away, I could stand and get my bearings again. In much the same way, no matter how this day unfolds, I know where to find my bearings. I believe we ALL will remain under the authority of King Jesus. These verses help me immensely. I have used the NLT version and capitalized and underlined the word ALL for emphasis.
The Rock Music has recently released our new EP, “No One Knows Me Like You.” Writing, recording, and playing music for Jesus and the local church is so gratifying. These songs are some that I am most proud of as a musician. At the same time, serving the Lord in this way humbles me. One common theme of this new music (mainly subconsciously) is finding a home in Jesus. And ultimately, a place where He knows me and I can rest in Him.
Ephesians 1:15-21 is a set of verses that really encourages me. We glimpse Paul’s heart and his thankfulness for the church in Ephesus! He speaks with gratitude and hope. On top of that, he deeply desires the saints to continue their spiritual growth.
First, Paul starts by expressing his gratitude for the Ephesians’ faith in Jesus. At the same time, he also expresses thanks for their love for the saints.
John 14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”
In John Chapter 13, Jesus gave His disciples shocking news. He informed them that He would be betrayed by one of their closest friends. Additionally, He would soon leave them and go where they couldn’t follow.
The right response is to pray about everything. Perhaps you feel like you’re in an uphill battle. Are you distraught, downtrodden, sick, bankrupt, or confused? Oftentimes, life can be utterly brutal. And yet, in the same life, we can also experience the downhill thrill of blessings. Being in love, landing the perfect job, receiving gifts, learning new skills, having children, going on vacation, hearing, tasting, and so on.
In all our ups and downs, the Apostle Paul encourages us to assume the position of prayer.
I often find myself reflecting on the idea of waiting on the Lord. Waiting can seem frustrating in our fast-paced world, where immediate results and quick fixes are highly prized. My personality is to get in and fix things as soon as possible. So, it’s not easy when I have to wait days, weeks, or months for something. I can start to get anxious very quickly.
