CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 5

November 18, 2010 at 4:35 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

Christians can feel good about themselves. It’s alright for them to have a healthy dose, but not an overdose,  of positive self-esteem. I’d now like to look at our own self-esteem in relation to God, others, and ourself. First, let’s look at our own view of ourself in relation to ourself. Here are some guidelines that I see in Scripture about the kind of self-esteem that we should have.

OUR VIEW OF OURSELF IN RELATION TO OURSELF

A. OUR ESTEEM OF OURSELF SHOULD BE HONEST AND TRUE. God doesn’t want us to lie about anything, including ourself. There are certain things about ourself and our achievements that are good or laudable. To lie about them is as much a lie and sinful as lying about anything else. For example, if we’re good at drawing it isn’t wrong to admit that. The wrong and the lie is in saying we’re not good at drawing. By all means, we should be humble and modest about the truth. But lying about ourself or our achievements isn’t humility or modesty: it’s lying. And you can’t have good self-esteem built on lies about yourself.

Besides this, when you disparage and depreciate what God has done for you or in you in terms of your character, personality, or achievements, you’re robbing God of the glory that is rightfully His. It’s every bit the same as you telling God  that  everything  He  did  for you really isn’t that big a deal, it isn’t that important, it’s not anything to brag on Him about. The way I see it, minimizing or belittling God’s works is a real insult to God.

Going back to Scripture, Paul had no qualms about saying he wasn’t inferior to any of the Lord’s apostles (2 Corinthians 11:5, 12:11). It was the truth and he had no problems saying or admitting it. The point in all this is, our view of ourself should be accurate and true.

B. WE SHOULD BE MODEST AND HUMBLE ABOUT OURSELF. The truth doesn’t have to make us proud. Yes, we may be a good artist. But we don’t have to be proud about it. We may have accomplished a lot of things and achieved great wealth or success. But we don’t have to be proud about it. Paul had no qualms about putting himself on equal footing with the Lord’s apostles, but he was humble enough to see himself as the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9). He even went so far as to regard himself as the least of all saints (Ephesians 3:8). The lesson we can learn here is, it’s possible for us to have good self-esteem and still be humble. Good self-esteem doesn’t have to make us proud, conceited, arrogant, or contemptible. We can feel good about ourself and still be humble (1 Peter 5:5-6).

C. DON’T SEEK GLORY FOR YOURSELF. DON’T TOOT YOUR OWN HORN.  You should feel good about yourself—sin excepted of course. But you shouldn’t be proud or seek honor and glory for yourself. Proverbs 25:27 reads, It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory. Proverbs 27:2, Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.  Proverbs 20:6 asks, Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

D. GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO GOD. Instead of taking all the credit for yourself, give God all the glory. Point men to God and let them know that He’s the reason for your success or goodness. Everything you have comes from Him (1 Chronicles 29:14, 1 Timothy 6:17, James 1:17). It was He who helped you and enabled you for your success (Philippians 4:13). It was He who was working in you all along (Philippians 2:13). You are who you are by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). Good and godly self-esteem, brethren, will always end up at the throne of God and glorify Him because He really is the reason for everything we have, are, and have accomplished.

OUR VIEW OF OURSELF IN RELATION TO OTHERS

QUIT COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS. Most people’s self-esteem is built or based on comparison. We compare ourself with others and, depending on who we’re comparing ourselves with, we either inflate ourself with arrogance and pride in being better than others; or else we deflate and depress ourself with a sense of worthlessness and failure because we’re not as good as others.

Take our physical features for an example. Beauty is almost always defined in relation to others. We’re either more beautiful than others, or else we’re ugly compared to all the other beautiful people around us. The same can be said about success, achievement, ability, intelligence, and a host of other things that we judge in relation to others.

Friend, you need to quit comparing yourself with others. Proper and godly self-esteem is not built or based on comparison. It’s built on your own recognition and realization that you are God’s handiwork. It’s He who formed and made you. It’s He who gave you your personality, talents and abilities.  It’s  He  who  endowed  you with the intelligence that you’ve got. Of course, you’ve had a hand in everything about yourself: you’ve either improved God’s handiwork for the better, or else you’ve made a mess of yourself by living a carnal, self-centered, sinful life. The point is, in spite of what God gave to, and did for, the countless other people around and beside you, you are still God’s unique handiwork, His very own work in progress, and you must be content and accept yourself for who and what you are right now.

Friend, when you look at yourself in the mirror, when you judge yourself, look only at the person staring back at you in the mirror. Get everyone else out of the picture. Quit comparing yourself with others. Recognize God’s hand on your life. Accept with gratitude His grace and blessings upon you. And use whatever’s wrong, bad, or inferior about you as a launching pad to obey God more and be more of the person that God wants you to be.

BE HUMBLE. For better or worse, we live in a world surrounded by people. You can’t always leave people out of the picture. You live with them. They’re everywhere around you. So, while you mustn’t compare yourself with others, you nevertheless have to know how to behave or respond whenever you’re around people.

Having good self-esteem is important for yourself. But when it comes to other people the greater, more important thing is for you to be humble. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5) . To be truly humble you need to change the way you look at people. Instead of thinking you’re better than them you need to do the exact opposite and think of them as being better than yourself. Philippians 2:3 exhorts us to  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Friend,  whenever  you’re  tempted  to become proud of yourself, look at the good in others, focus on their strengths and virtues, walk in their shoes, and you just might be surprised to find out that they really are better than you.

OUR VIEW OF OURSELF IN RELATION TO GOD

It’s important and beneficial for us to have a good esteem of ourself. But as soon as we bring God into the picture and stand in His presence we need to set our self-esteem aside and humble ourself before God (James 4:10). Our view of ourself—no matter how accurate and true—must change and become what we really, truly are in God’s sight. And what is that? As the text of Scripture reads, We are unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). No one will glory in God’s presence (1 Corinthians 1:29). There’ll be no bragging or boasting. God, and God alone, gets all the glory. Always, at all times, in all things, we remain humble in God’s presence and give Him the glory for everything we are, everything we have, and everything we’ve done.

I’ve said all along that it’s important, good, and beneficial for us to have a good self-esteem. I speak on the assumption that we’re walking with the Lord and living uprightly before Him. Friends, you ought not feel good about yourself if you’re in sin! A bad person shouldn’t feel good about himself or herself. Good self-esteem comes from being good. If you’re bad and you feel good about yourself, you’re self-deceived and you’re fooling yourself into Hell. The Devil—not the Lord—makes you feel good about your sins.

I’ve also said that your esteem of yourself should be accurate, honest, and true. The problem here is that it’s so easy for us to be blind sided and not see the truth about ourself. There may be some things or truths about  ourself  that we’d rather not admit or acknowledge. This is where the good Lord comes in. We need to let the Lord tell us what He thinks about us. It’s important for us to feel good about ourself. But the greater question is, How does the Lord feel about us? What does He think about us? Does He see us the same way we see ourself?

The answer, quite plainly, is God doesn’t always see us the same way we see ourself. Proverbs 16:2 tells us that  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Proverbs 21:2 similarly reads, Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. Proverbs 30:12, There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

The point in all these is, there are times when we think we’re alright, but really we’re not—not in God’s eyes. We can have good self-esteem without God having the same esteem toward us.

Having a good, positive, healthy, godly self-esteem is, first and foremost, a matter of letting God tell us what He thinks about us. Our esteem must come from Him! Brethren, do you want to feel good about yourself? Go to God. Let Him tell you what He thinks about you. (A) If the news is bad, confess and repent of your sin/s, get things right with God, then start doing what’s right. Remember, good self-esteem comes from being good. (B) If the news is good and the Spirit doesn’t convict you of any wrong doing, then give God the glory, build on His good report, then start seeing yourself the same way God sees you. Let God—not you, or the Devil, or other people—be the ultimate source of how you think, feel, and view yourself. [You may be interested in reading my post  THINKING ‘BOUT ME if you’re struggling to believe God loves you. It’s worth the read and it’ll change your life!]

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 4

November 9, 2010 at 2:39 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

While the Lord commands us to be humble and not proud, I’ve found that THE BIBLE DOESN’T ENCOURAGE US TO HAVE BAD, POOR, OR LOW SELF-ESTEEM. We’re commanded to deny and crucify self. But we’re never commanded or encouraged to hate ourself. I know Luke 14:26 tells us to hate our own life. The Lord isn’t talking about self-esteem here. The phrase is a Hebraic way of saying don’t love your own life more than you love me (see Matthew 10:37).

To the contrary, and perhaps much to our surprise,  WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE OURSELF! Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:31, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8). The command was first given to Moses, then Jesus reiterated it, and Paul and James did too! And since that time, the love of neighbor and self has come to be known as the Great Commandment and Royal Law of Scripture.

As astounding as it may sound, brethren, IT ISN’T A SIN TO LOVE OURSELF. Like I’ve said already, the love of self so often leads to sin in the form of carnality, selfishness, and a life without God. No one’s arguing or denying that point. I’m not saying we should be proud, conceited, or self-centered. All I’m saying is God’s trying to tell us something about ourself and we need to listen. And what is He trying to tell us? That it’s okay to love ourself. In fact, He commands it! And it’s a command that doesn’t come with any rebukes or prohibitions.

In, of, and by itself, loving ourself isn’t sinful or wrong. Go back to the Great Commandment and Royal Law. If loving ourself is sinful and wrong God would never have  commanded  us  to  love  our  neighbor based on a love that’s sinful and wrong, namely, the love of self. GOD, BRETHREN, RECOGNIZES THE FACT THAT—EXCEPTIONS AND SPIRITUAL OPPRESSION ASIDE—ALL OF US LOVE OURSELF. HE DOESN’T DENY OR FORBID THAT. TO THE CONTRARY, HE WANTS US TO USE THIS LOVE OF SELF AS THE MEASURE BY WHICH WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR. WE ARE TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS MUCH AS–OR IN THE SAME WAY THAT–WE LOVE OURSELF.

WHY THE LOVE OF SELF IS SO NECESSARY AS GOD SEES IT

Within reason, LOVING OURSELF IS A GOOD AND HEALTHY THING. Why is that? Because WE TAKE CARE OF WHAT WE LOVE. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 5:28-29, So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. {29} For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. If we didn’t love ourself we wouldn’t take care of ourself. We would abuse and misuse ourself. But the truth of the matter is, we take care of ourself because we love ourself. The love is what gives rise to, it’s what causes, the care. Said another way, PROPER CARE AND NURTURE OF OURSELF REQUIRES THAT WE LOVE OURSELF.

With this understanding in mind, the reason why it’s crucial for us to love ourself in relation to our neighbor is this. If we love our neighbor as ourself we’ll take care of our neighbor in the same way we take care of ourself. This is why all the commandments are fulfilled when we love our neighbor as ourself: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Galatians 5:14). Romans 13:8-10 echoes the refrain:  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. {9} For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {10} Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

LOVING OURSELF, I’M SAYING, IS A GOOD AND HEALTHY THING. IT’S IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY—BOTH FOR OURSELF AND FOR OUR NEIGHBOR. AND IT’S AN ACT OF OBEDIENCE TO GOD.

Coming Up In My Next Blog Post, Part 5: How God wants us to view ourself.

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 3

November 4, 2010 at 11:59 AM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

THE TWO FLAWS OR WEAKNESSES OF SELF-ESTEEM

The Flaw Of Comparison. No matter what kind of self-esteem you have—good or bad—there are two inherent flaws in self-esteem. No degree of good self-esteem is truly good until or unless these two flaws are remedied. The first flaw is that of comparison. Most people’s self-esteem is gained by comparing oneself with others. Consider the five things that we base our self-esteem on. We can talk about our looks, our character, our acceptance, our abilities, or our achievements. We judge ourself in relation to others: we don’t look as pretty as Betty Sue, we’re not as patient as Randy John, we’re just not as good at painting as Mattie Mae, and we haven’t been successful like Billy Ray. Do you see what I mean? We compare ourself with other people and the results of that comparison become the basis and content of our self-esteem.

The problem with comparison-based self-esteem is there’ll always be people who are better than us—people who, though unintentionally perhaps—ruin our self-esteem. And conversely, there’ll always be people who are not as good as us—inducing us to pride and arrogance. Friends, we’ll never really, truly feel good about ourself as long as we compare ourself with others.

The Flaw Of Godlessness. I think it’s healthy, rewarding, and fulfilling for people to have good self-esteem. I wouldn’t want to live life feeling bad about, and hating, myself. So I think it’s good for people to think good about themselves. But the greater, more important question is, What does God think about me? I may feel good about myself, but does God have, or share, the same feeling about me? Hell, no doubt, is full of people who lived life feeling good about themselves—in spite of the fact that they were abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, Titus 1:6.

In the end, when every human being stands before the judgment seat of God to be sentenced either to endless bliss in Heaven or endless torment in Hell, our self-esteem counts for nothing if God is not a part—yea, the central part, of our life. This is the second flaw of self-esteem. No matter how good a perception we have of ourself, self-esteem without God as the Master and Lord of our life will not spare us eternal pain and misery in Hell. Self-esteem is really, truly good only when we let God shape our opinion and view of ourself.

CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM

Should Christians have self-esteem? Yes, according to a lot of Christians. But you’d be surprised to find Christians, not a few, who believe that self-esteem has no place in the Christian life. From where I stand, an honest inquiry into the facts will show that every human being has self-esteem. It’s the way we’re built. It comes with being human. We can’t get rid of it any more than we can get rid of our own human nature. As long as we’re human and alive, we all have self-esteem. The difference is the kind, or amount, of self-esteem that we have. So let me reword the question. What does God want us to do with our self-esteem? Does He even want us to have self-esteem? Should we rid ourselves of self-esteem? If not, then what kind of self-esteem does God want us to have? Wow! Is this interesting or what? Let’s see what the Bible has to say.

GOD DOESN’T WANT US TO BE PROUD

It goes without saying that God doesn’t want us to be proud, arrogant, conceited, or vain. 1 Peter 5:5-6 admonishes us, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. {6} Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Paul had something to say about pride when he told us in Romans 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Of course, Philippians 2:3 is the classic Scripture passage that instructs us to esteem others better than ourself: Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. God, brethren, doesn’t want to be proud.

GOD’S PROHIBITION AGAINST PRIDE ISN’T A PROHIBITION AGAINST SELF-ESTEEM

Unfortunately, many Christians stop with God’s prohibition against pride and don’t consider the rest of what God had to say about self-esteem. Some things that God said are commonly overlooked or ignored because we want to concentrate on the main thing that God’s telling us, which is, Don’t be conceited or vain! Main point acknowledged. But in all fairness and honesty to God, we’ve got to listen to everything He said. I suppose if it wasn’t important He wouldn’t have said it.

Romans 12:3 is a good example. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think (Romans 12:3). God, brethren, doesn’t want us to be proud and conceited. But His prohibition against vanity and conceit isn’t a prohibition against us having some kind of regard, respect, or esteem for ourself. He doesn’t want us to think more highly of ourself than we ought to think, but that’s not to say—it’s not the same as saying—that God doesn’t want us to think anything of ourself. The fact is, God wants us to think, we ought to think,  something about ourself—just not more highly that we ought to think less we become conceited, vain, arrogant, and proud. God, I am saying, is telling us it’s alright, within reason, for us to have self-esteem.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 4: Loving self versus hating self and what God has to say.

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 2

November 1, 2010 at 2:05 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

THE PROFOUND INFLUENCES ON OUR SELF-ESTEEM

 

Our self-esteem is profoundly influenced by our social environment. The greatest of these influences is our home: our parents in particular and our siblings as well. Our earliest perceptions of ourself are based on things that our family say to us and about us. And they’re also based on the way they treat us. With lots of love, positive affirmation, and wholesome teaching or training we grow up feeling good about ourself because we sense the love and value bestowed upon us by our parents and siblings. Naturally, the converse is true. A troubled, abusive family setting is injurious to our self-esteem and the effects of that loveless relationship haunt us for the greater part, even the remainder, of our life.

 

Besides our parents and family, the people in our life affect the way we think about ourself. Our teachers, classmates, pastors, neighbors, relatives, coworkers, and friends all play a role in contributing to our own perceptions about ourself. Their opinions, criticisms, and positive affirmations form the basis of what we believe about ourself. Now what’s true with family is also true with our social network: a positive social environment produces a healthy self-esteem. And a negative social environment, an unhealthy one. The people we hang around with the most are the ones who have the most impact on the way we view ourself.

 

THE THINGS THAT MAKE UP OUR SELF-ESTEEM

 

How, exactly, do we go about forming or developing our self-esteem? There are five basic factors that go into the makeup or development of our self-esteem.

 

1. OUR LOOKS. As children, our very first perception of ourself centers around our looks: our gender, skin color, hair color, length, and style; our body shape and size; our height and weight; and our facial characteristics, i.e. the size and contour of our nose, the shape of our eyes and mouth, our facial hair, etc. As we enter puberty and adolescence we lay a lot of stress on our facial features, sexual endowments, and current hair and clothing fads. Our very first perception of ourself as beautiful, ugly, comely, or attractive is based on the way we look.

 

2. OUR ACCEPTANCE. As we enter puberty and adolescence we continue to lay a lot of stress on our facial features, sexual endowments, and overall bodily appearance. We do this as a means to an end; it’s what we think we have to do to get what we want. And what is that?  We want to be liked and accepted by our peers. This is where our preoccupation with current hair and clothing fads or fashions come in. We spend a great deal of time and money making ourselves attractive and appealing—especially to the opposite sex because we desperately want to be loved and accepted. We want to fit in, blend in, and be like everyone else in our age group. Our teen years are devoted to popularity and acceptance. Our self-esteem at this age is determined by how well we are liked and accepted. Popularity and likeability produce good self-esteem. And rejection and ridicule produce a disastrously bad or low self-esteem.

 

3. OUR CHARACTER. As we enter our later teen years we are not as bound by peer pressure as before. We are free to explore who we really are. While looks and fashion are still important elements of our self-perception, they are no longer the sole, most important determinant of our self-esteem. We begin assessing our value, dignity, and worth on something that has become more important to us, and that is our psychological, spiritual makeup. We start building self-esteem on who we are as a person. We judge ourselves based our personality, behavior, and character; on our morals, beliefs, and goals in life. If we like what we’ve become in terms of our personality and pursuits we’ll have good self-esteem. Contrariwise, if we despise who we are because of our weaknesses, addictions, and aimlessness  in life we’ll have poor self-esteem.

 

4. OUR CAPABILITIES. As we leave our schooling behind and enter the work force we begin to define our self-esteem in terms of our abilities.

 

(a) Our abilities includes our intelligence or how mentally-equipped we are to perform certain tasks and succeed. When we get a job that we can do well in and succeed vocationally as well as financially, we get a good feeling about ourself and remain optimistic about life. But when we have a job that we’re just not capable of doing well, we see ourself as a dunce and a failure in life.

 

(b) Our abilities include our emotional makeup and how well we are prepared to handle the stresses of the job, the stresses of a long-term relationship with a member of the opposite sex, and the stresses of life in general. We all are faced with difficulties and trials. A person who copes well and is able to get past the defeats and difficulties will feel good   about   himself or herself  and   his or her  resulting   resiliency   will contribute toward a positive outlook in life. But a person who doesn’t cope with life’s struggles will get angry and bitter. Unfortunately, this inability to cope contributes to a sense of failure and the onslaught of despair or depression.

 

(c) Lastly, our abilities include our physical makeup. As men, the health and stamina to work hard and provide a good living bring a sense of inner satisfaction and fulfillment. For domestically-inclined women, the ability to conceive children and be a good mother provides a woman with an inner sense of pride and fulfillment. A physical disability wreaks havoc on a person’s self-esteem. But, fortunately, a disabled person can rise above a defeatist mentality and do what he or she can do to live an independent, or semi-independent, life and thereby enhance his or her self-esteem.

 

5. OUR ACHIEVEMENTS. As we enter our mid-life and senior years, our self-esteem comes to be based on what we’ve accomplished, or failed to accomplish, in life. It’s a reflective, meditative time in life when we look back over the course of our life and see whether our life has counted for anything. We look at the goals and dreams we had in life when we were young, then we look at ourself now and we judge ourself based on how well we lived up to our goals and dreams. Our self-esteem becomes one of pride and satisfaction, or else sorrow and regret.

 

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 3: Two flaws of self-esteem and the question of whether Christians should have self-esteem.

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CHRISTIANS AND SELF-ESTEEM PART 1

October 28, 2010 at 12:18 PM (Christian Living, Self-Esteem)

In this post and the next four, I’d like to tackle the complex, if not touchy, issue of Christians and self-esteem. Should Christians have self-esteem? How should Christians view themselves? Is it wrong to feel good about ourself? Does God want us to have a deprecatory view of ourself? Does the Bible have anything to say about what we should think and feel about ourself?

Let me say at the outset that I’m not a trained or professional psychologist. I’m a Christian minister. I’m interested, first of all, in what God, not psychologists, has to say about self-esteem. And, second of all, I want to do my part in helping God’s people see themselves the way God sees them. So, with these introductory words aside, let’s get started on our Biblical voyage of self-discovery.

A DEFINITION OF SELF-ESTEEM

What Self-Esteem Is. Self-esteem comes from a Greek word meaning ‘reverence for self’; to honor, respect, revere self. The thought is rather frightening to many of us Christians who equate reverence with the worship of God. But there’s nothing idolatrous about reverencing oneself. We reverence, honor, or respect our parents, our elders, pastors, and government leaders. There’s nothing idolatrous, sinful, or wrong with that. In fact, the Bible commands us to honor and respect these aforementioned people. Self-esteem, simply put, is to reverence, honor, and respect yourself just the same way you reverence, honor, and respect the important, esteemed people in your life.

A commonly-accepted definition of self-esteem is pride in oneself; self-respect; a sense of one’s dignity or worth. Frankly, the definition doesn’t do a whole lot for me. There’s a vagueness to it that leaves me still wondering what self-esteem is. The simplest way I know to describe or define self-esteem is this: self-esteem is the way you look at yourself. It’s what you think about yourself. You take a good, long look at yourself and after you’re done with your introspection you accept who, and what, you are. You’re satisfied with yourself. You have a favorable opinion of yourself. In essence, self-esteem is self-acceptance. 

Turning a corner just a bit, feelings are so fluid and subject to change, so I’ll use the term rather loosely here hoping you’ll understand exactly what I mean. Self-esteem is feeling good about yourself. It’s having good thoughts about yourself. Going back to the Greek, you reverence, honor, and respect yourself.

What Self-Esteem Is Not. Let me set things straight here and say at the outset that self-esteem is not the same as being arrogant, egotistical, conceited, or vain. It can certainly lead to that if you don’t discipline yourself to have an honest, humble opinion of yourself. But just because you think well of yourself doesn’t automatically mean you’re proud. As we’ll see in the apostle Paul’s case, it’s possible to have good self-esteem and still be humble and modest. There’s a Biblical balance between low self-esteem and high self-esteem, between self-depreciation and self-aggrandizement. I’m hoping that as I bring the Biblical texts to your attention you will come to see this balance for yourself and start having a positive, God-glorifying view of yourself.

VARYING DEGREES OF SELF-ESTEEM

There are varying levels of self-esteem. It’s like temperature. Temperature ranges from super hot to super cold. In between these two extremes are a wide range of hot and cold temperatures. In the same way, our self-esteem can range from really bad to really good; from really low to really high. A person with no, bad, or low self-esteem doesn’t think much of himself. He has no self-respect. He hates himself. He’s constantly belittling himself. He battles rejection, depression, and masochism. He is self-tormenting, self-condemning, and self-destructive.

At the other end of the self-esteem continuum is the person who has too high an opinion of himself. He’s conceited and vain. He’s afflicted with feelings of superiority. He’s egotistical, arrogant and contemptible of others. He’s deceived himself into thinking he’s somebody he really isn’t.

Somewhere between these two extremes of self-esteem is the right amount of self-esteem that is healthy, good, and beneficial. You’re at peace with yourself. You love yourself. You don’t hate or belittle yourself. You’re confident. You’re secure. You accept who you are. You quit trying to be someone you’re not.

THE CHANGING NATURE OF SELF-ESTEEM

Self-esteem is like the process of maturation. It takes us years of time to grow, develop, and mature—not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, behaviorally, intellectually, etc. We’re changing. We’re growing up. The process of growth and maturity differs for each one of us. But, without our really knowing it, we all come to a particular point in time, we come to a particular stage in life, where we become mature. That doesn’t mean we quit growing: it just means we no longer grow as fast. Our character, our belief system, our personality, our habits—everything about us—is pretty much set and we are who we’re going to be for the rest of our life.

In much the same way, our perception about ourself changes quite a bit. With the years, and with the varied stages and circumstances of life, we change the way we think about, and look at, ourself. It can be a really confusing, unsettling time of life as we search for our identity, come to grips with who we really, truly are, and identify the meaning and purpose of our life. Then, just like maturity, we reach a definite point in time—somewhere in adulthood—where we’re pretty much settled about who we are and what we think about ourself. Whether good or bad or just right; our perception about ourself doesn’t change a whole lot anymore. From there on out, we live with the same self-esteem that we have for the rest of our life.

Coming Up On My Next Blog Post, Part 2: What we base our self-esteem on and the factors that influence our self-esteem.

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EVEN DEMONS DON’T WANT TO GO THERE

October 18, 2010 at 12:22 AM (From The Bible, Musings)

Hell is no picnic. I always marvel at how many people don’t care that that’s where they’re going when their life is over. They act like Hell doesn’t exist. If they say it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. It’s as simple as that to them. I wish it were that simple. But God is true. And everything He’s said about Hell is true. It doesn’t matter that I’ve never been there. I’ve never seen it. I can’t prove it exists. But, then, no one can prove it doesn’t. So I guess it’s either your word or mine. I say it exists because God says it does and I believe God. I guess we’ll all find out for sure once we die. But I sure hate to find out the hard way. That’s why I choose to live my life doing everything I can to stay out of Hell.

I don’t like pain. And Hell is pain like you’ve never known. Like you’ve never imagined. It’s so painful that you don’t even know what pain is till you get there. I can’t believe you want to go there.

Here on Earth you hurt a little. So what do you do? You take a pain killer. You run to the doctor to take the pain away. You want to feel better. Right away! Come on. Be honest with me. You don’t want pain. You don’t like pain. Well, Hell is pain. And there ain’t no pain killers in Hell. It’s one excruciating pain like you’ve never known before. And it never goes away, it never gets better, it never never ends.

If you’re smart, like you say you are, you’ll do everything you can to stay clear of that damnable place. It starts with receiving Jesus as your Savior. He died to save you from Hell, so that you won’t have to go there, but go to Heaven instead. Now that’s where you really want to be!

Anyways, getting back to Hell, there are different places where the damned go after they die. Hell as we know it is the same as Hades or Sheol. It’s a place of torment where wicked men go right after they die. Jesus gives us a graphic picture of what it’s like in Luke 16:23-26,  And in hell the rich man lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  (24)  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  (25)  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  (26)  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. So there’s fire, flame, and heat in Hell. What’s more, you’re going to be conscious and alive in Hell. You’re going to be able to feel. And think. And talk. Just like you do right now. So if you think you’re going to sleep forever and not feel a thing after you die, you’d better think again. God says you will. Hell is a place of torment where you’re not going to get any kind of relief whatsoever.

Besides Hell, there’s a place called Gehenna or the Lake of Fire. Hell, you might say, is temporary in a sense. There’s a time coming when the damned and wicked are going to get resurrected and stand in judgment before God. This judgment hasn’t yet occurred. The dead in Hell haven’t yet been judged. Revelation 20:11-15 tells us this. Anyways, when the wicked are finally judged by God, they, of course, will be found guilty. And they’ll be sent to their final place of punishment which will be forever. That’s where the wicked are going to spend eternity. In the Lake of Fire. If you can imagine a huge fire burning with flames reaching as high as the eye can see, if you can imagine being in the middle of this fire and not ever get burned up or die, you’ll live forever in the fire, feel it, and not ever get a nanosecond of reprieve or relief; you’ll get a small idea of what this fearful, gruesome Lake of Fire  is going to be like. It’s going to hurt bad—so bad that Hell is going look like a picnic in comparison.  

Besides Hell and the Lake of Fire, there’s a place call Tartarus. There’s only one place where it’s mentioned in the New Testament, in 2 Peter 2:4 where the word is translated ‘Hell’. Tartarus is where the angels who sinned before Earth was created are locked up. It’s a prison. And it’s a place of total darkness, Jude 6 & 13.  One of these days, they too, just like men, are going to be judged by God and sent to their eternal place of punishment which will be the Lake of Fire.

The Bible also talks about a place of outer darkness. I’m not sure where this place is. It may be Tartarus. Or it may be a compartment of Hell where darkness—not fire and heat—is the main instrument of punishment and torture. Maybe it’s the Abyss that we’ll be looking at next. Anyways, Jesus talked about this place in Matthew 8:12, 22:13 and 25:30. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be in total darkness? Where you can’t see a single thing? That’s scary for a lot of people. In this place of darkness, Jesus says, people are going to cry, scream, and gnash their teeth. It’s pure misery and torment.

Lastly, there’s a place called the Abyss or the Bottomless Pit. Revelation 9 and 20 talks about this place. It may be the same place as Tartarus, but I’m not sure. All I know is what the Bible says about it. It’s a bottomless hole where bad angels are confined. It’s a prison. They can’t get out. There’s a door, or a gateway, that can be opened from the outside. And Jesus has the Key. During Tribulation, the prison door of the Abyss is going to be opened and a whole host of these bad boys are going to be let loosed on the Earth to really mess men up bad. But until that time comes, they’re locked away in this place of darkness and torment. Now, for some people, darkness isn’t that big a deal. It’s not pain, torment, or suffering, like Hell and the Lake of Fire are to people. But for these fallen angels, being confined in darkness and not having any place to go is their Hell. They absolutely hate it and dread it.

All the demons know about the Abyss. Let me back track for just a moment here and say that not every bad angel is in Tartarus or the Abyss right now. Some bad angels, by God’s permission, were not sent to their prison hole, but were allowed to roam throughout the Earth and the universe to do their thing—which is make trouble for men. These bad angels are demons. And there are an awful lot of them on Earth today, possessing people and making people do all sorts of really bad things.

Anyways, back to the Abyss. Every demon that’s roaming loose outside the Abyss know about the Abyss. They know it exists. They know what it’s like there. And they don’t want to go there. Luke 8:26-31 tells us this. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.  (27)  And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.  (28)  When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.  (29)  (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)  (30)  And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.  (31)  And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

Now this word deep in verse 31 is the Abyss. The demons weren’t talking about the deepest part of the Sea. They were talking about the Abyss. So with this in mind, let’s read the verse again: And the demons besought Jesus that He would not command them to go out into the Abyss. You see, the Abyss, the demons’ Hell, is so bad that even demons don’t want to go there! They know the Abyss is real. They know what it’s like there. And they don’t want to go there.

It seems to me that an awful lot of people just aren’t as smart as demons. They just don’t care about going to Hell. They will. Believe me. They will once they get there. Folks, don’t join the crowds that are rushing to get into Hell. You won’t like it there. Believe me. You won’t. Get saved. Give your life to Jesus. Serve Him. You’ll agree. Heaven’s a lot better place to spend forever.

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THE ENEMY WITHIN PART 2

September 11, 2010 at 6:48 PM (Christian Living, Crucified Life)

A Word By Way Of Introduction: If you’ve read THE ENEMY WITHIN PART 1 I left off saying that self in any guise kills. It kills good, honest, hard-working people who live selfish, self-centered lives. Following in the same train of thought, self kills good, religious people too.

2) Spiritual, Religious, Pious People. Good “Christians” can be afflicted with a Selfish disease and they, too, risk eternal loss if they’re not crucifying the flesh. The rich young ruler is a tragic example of Christians who have it right in just about every area of their life—except one—and it’s the one area of Self that they’re holding on to that eventually kills them and bars them from the Kingdom.

Mark 10:17-22,  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  (18)  And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  (19)  Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  (20)  And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  (21)  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  (22)  And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

The thing that I’d like for you to notice about this young man is that he was very religious, very pious, and very obedient to the Law. Obedience was a habit and a lifestyle with him. If we lived in his day, he would have put many of us to shame. But in spite of his piety, the young man knew within himself that he just wasn’t saved. And that really bothered him. It consumed him. So many today, even professing Christians, aren’t concerned about being saved. They live for Self. They live for the here and now. The state or welfare of their soul doesn’t concern or consume them. And unlike many  today,  this  young  man  wanted  to  be saved! He wanted eternal life! But when Jesus told him what he had to do to get saved, he went away grieved because he didn’t want to give up the one love of his life—that was, his love for his riches or his possessions. He was unwilling to give up what he had in order to get what he didn’t have and desperately wanted.

Friends, the one thing that you love too much, that you don’t want to give up, is the thing that’s keeping you back from following the Lord. And, if you don’t get it right or give it up, THE ONE THING THAT YOU LOVE TOO MUCH WILL END UP KILLING YOU. And when it does, when once you’re cast into Hell’s fires, I guarantee you’ll come to hate and despise the very thing you love. IF JESUS IS NOT THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE WILL KILL YOU.

THE CROSS IS THE CURE

Jesus lays the demand of the cross upon us because THE CROSS WILL PUT TO DEATH EVERYTHING THAT WOULD OTHERWISE KILL US OR DAMN US. Romans 8:13 tells us, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

So how do we crucify the flesh? What do we do? Instead of speaking in vague generalities here, let me speak in specific practicalities. Here are some practical examples of what we can do to crucify Self.

  • Husbands, when you want to go to sleep but your wife wants to talk, die out, stay up a while, listen to what she has to say . Give her your input. Let her know you care about the things she cares about.
  • Men, when you want to stay home, kick back, and relax, but your wife wants to go shopping; die out, take her shopping, and be gracious about it, not grouchy. Instead of pleasing Self, please the God-given love of your life.
  • Fathers, when the kids don’t do the job right, even after you’ve repeatedly shown them how  to  do it, instead of tearing into them, die out, keep your lip and your temper under control, and patiently show them how to do it again. Some kids are slow learners. Remember God’s patience towards you. Practice the same towards the children God has given you.
  • Wives, when your husband asks you to cook his steak a certain way or buy a certain brand of bacon, die out and please him. Your loving submission keeps things peaceable in the home.
  •  Ladies, when your husband wants some affectionate attention and you’re just not in the mood, die out and be affectionate because you’re the only woman who could legitimately, rightly minister to his physical needs.
  •  Mothers, when the kids start misbehaving and getting the best of you, instead of tolerating them and watching Household War #475  unfold, die out, drop what you’re doing, and minister the discipline where it’s needed. Parental inattention or neglect produces monsters and brats.
  •  Children, when your parents ask you or tell you to do something, then even though you think they’re just plain ridiculous, die out and obey them because that’s what God wants you to do. Obey them just as you would obey God.
  •  Children, when you ask your parents if you could go somewhere, do something, or buy something, and they say No, then die out and do what you’re told. Try to understand their reasons and see things from their well-meaning perspective.
  •  Youths, when your parents set down some rules and you just don’t agree with those rules, die out, ask God for grace to obey, then start obeying the rules. God’s more concerned about your obedience than your liberty or rights.
  •  Employees, when the boss wants you to do something, or do it a certain way; then even though you think you know better, die out and obey the boss. Employers value good ideas, but they value submissive employees even more.
  •  When your devotional time with the Lord rolls around, then instead of sleeping a few more minutes, or instead of crashing for the night, die out and go meet with the Lord. Make Him a priority and He’ll make sure He shows up during the rest of your day.
  • When you’re tempted to watch another movie or play a thirteenth round of solitaire, die out and go do something constructive. Spend time with the family or the Lord. You’ll feel so much better afterward.
  • When you’re tempted to stuff yourself, die out, practice self-restraint, and don’t eat more than what your body really needs.

CLOSING

We can go on and on, but I trust you get an idea of what dying out is all about. It’s all about not letting Self have its way. It’s about living under authority. It’s about controlling, governing, and restraining your fleshly, bodily, sexual impulses and living under moral laws or restraints. Dying out to Self is all about doing the right thing—doing the Lord’s will—even when, and especially when, Self and the flesh just don’t feel like doing what’s right. You can crucify yourself. Start doing it and don’t let selfishness or fleshliness become a habit and a lifestyle with you. Don’t let Self rule or live. Kill it and you will live. May God bless you with the willingness, grace, and strength to die out.

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THE ENEMY WITHIN PART 1

September 5, 2010 at 2:20 AM (Christian Living, Crucified Life)

I’d like to talk to you about the greatest enemy that we face in this hour—an enemy who remains the cleverest, deadliest, and most damnable peril to our soul. Let me begin with a poem that’s a fitting opener for the things the Lord wants to say to us in this blog.

  • An enemy I had whose mien
  • I stoutly strove to know
  • For hard he dodged my steps unseen
  • Wherever I might go.
  • My plans he balked, my aims he foiled
  • He blocked my onward way.
  • When for some lofty goal I’d toil
  • He grimly told me “Nay!”
  • “Come forth!,” I cried. “Lay bare thy guise
  • thy features I would see.”
  • But always to my straining eyes
  • He dwelt in mystery.
  • One night I seized and held him fast
  • The veil from him did draw.
  • I gazed upon his face at last
  • And lo, myself I saw!

The poem was written by a gentleman named Edwin O. Sabin. Its title is Myself. And it so aptly expresses the simple, overlooked, and neglected truth that the greatest enemy we Christians face in this hour is the enemy from within—Self.

THE MURDERER THAT MOST OF US LOVE AND ALLOW

No, my friends, the greatest enemy we face is not the Devil. He’s a powerful foe alright. But our Lord defeated and conquered that foe. And if we would believe it and walk in its glorious power, Jesus has given us power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt us, Luke 10:19.

The Devil cannot damn a one of us. But if anyone of us be damned it is because we’ve not given heed to Christ’s words to crucify Self in order that we might live. You see, the uncrucified Self is the greatest, deadliest, and most damnable enemy we face. Why is that? Because IF WE DON’T KILL IT, IT WILL KILL US. IF WE DON’T PUT SELF TO DEATH, SELF WILL PUT US TO DEATH. Read it for yourself from the words of Scripture.

  •  Luke 14:27, And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
  • Romans 8:13, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.
  • Galatians 5:19-21, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [sensual, fleshly, lustful], {20} Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance [strifes, fightings], emulations [jealousies], wrath [angers], strife [disputes], seditions [dissensions], heresies [factions, divisions], {21} Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings [carousing/partying without inhibitions or restraints], and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
  • Galatians 6:8, For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

WE CANNOT BE GOOD, GENUINE CHRISTIANS AND STILL BE CARNAL! OUR CARNALITY WILL KILL US!  You see, friends, the choice is really quite simple. EITHER SELF DIES, OR WE DIE. SELF MUST DIE IN ORDER FOR US TO LIVE.

Now the thing about it is, SELF DOESN’T DIE OF ITSELF OR BY ITSELF. IT DOESN’T CONTRACT A FATAL DISEASE THAT ENDS UP KILLING IT. SELF CANNOT BE ASSASSINATED OR MURDERED BY YOUR PARENTS, YOUR PASTOR, YOUR SPOUSE, OR YOUR GOOD CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. SELF CANNOT BE KILLED BY ANYONE EXCEPT YOU. YOU, AND YOU ALONE, ARE THE ONLY ONE CAPABLE OF PUTTING SELF TO DEATH. If Self dies, it will be at your hands and through your own diligent efforts. And if you, in this hour and your whole life through, are not putting Self to death, but instead nurturing it, catering to it, pampering it, giving in to it—you mark my words because they’re the words of the Lord—you will die. As I’m fond of saying, IF YOU LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL YOU WILL BE DAMNED LIKE THE DEVIL.

SOME MANIFESTATIONS OF SELF

EVERYTHING ABOUT SELF IS DEADLY. No matter how Self manifests in your life, that manifestation of Self imperils your soul and eternal destiny. Self manifests itself in so many ways. But I’d like to highlight three of these for you because they’re just so glaring and pervasive—even in Christian homes and churches.

  1.  Self-Interest or Self-Centeredness. Your whole world and your whole life centers around you. You don’t think much about anyone else. You don’t take others into consideration. You don’t care how your words, actions, or lifestyle affect others. All you think about is yourself.
  2.  Self-Determination. You decide what you’re going to do and how you’re going to live your life. You do not submit yourself to authority. There is no absolute standard of right or wrong. You determine for yourself what’s right or wrong. Always and invariably, you’re right and nobody can tell or convince you otherwise.
  3.  Self-Willed. You’re going to do what you want to do and no one can compel you otherwise. There is a spirit of lawlessness and rebellion at work whereby you will not submit to authority or the Lord. You will not listen to anyone. You will do as you please and no one can stop you from doing so.

SELF IN ANY GUISE KILLS

Now when we think of a selfish, fleshly, carnal  person we generally think about someone who isn’t saved  or  someone who’s  supposedly  saved  but  is backslidden and isn’t walking with the Lord.

But Self manifests itself in two other groups of people that, just like the unsaved or unrepentant backsliders, will lead all its victims to Hell. The first of these is Honest, Hard-Working People. They are not criminals. They’re not breaking the law or engaged in any criminal activity. They’re not engaged in overt acts of sin. They’re good, honest, hard-working folks. But Selfish still. SELF KILLS EVEN GOOD, LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE. A SELFISH, GOOD, LAW-ABIDING PERSON WILL BE DAMNED JUST LIKE A SELFISH, EVIL, LAWLESS PERSON.

            Here’s a case in point from one of the parables that Jesus gave us.  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  (16)  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:  (17)  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  (18)  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  (20)  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  (21)  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Luke 12:15-21).

Notice all the I’s and my’s in this rich fool’s plans, ambitions, and words. Do they remind you of someone you know, perhaps maybe even yourself? I hope not. But if the shoe fits, then consider this a wake-up call from a God who loves you. The guy here was a perfectly good, honest, hard-working fellow. He wasn’t out there breaking any laws or hurting anybody. He was minding his own business and working hard to make a good living for himself. And he succeeded! But he didn’t take time out for God. God wasn’t in his thoughts, his plans, his future. He was, in a word, selfish, self-centered, and self-gratifying.

What I’d like for you to see here is, A GOOD, BUT SELFISH, PERSON WILL BE DAMNED JUST LIKE A BAD, SELFISH PERSON. SELF KILLS THE GOOD JUST LIKE THE BAD. IT KILLS ALL WHO LIVE FOR SELF.  Friends, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A WICKED PERSON TO BE DAMNED. If you’re selfish and self-centered like this rich fool; if God isn’t in your thoughts, your plans, your life; then you need to know that, if you don’t get God back in your life and give your life to Him, then you haven’t got much of a future to look forward to. IF YOU LIVE WITHOUT GOD ON EARTH, YOU’LL LIVE WITHOUT GOD IN ETERNITY.

Drop by for another visit on the web next week and I’ll post the second and concluding segment of this message. I promise you it’ll be worth the visit!  A moment in Hell tells it all: nothing and no one, not even Self, is worth going to Hell over. May God bless you and may give you the heart to die to Self.

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FUSSING OVER NOTHING: MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF SOMETHING THAT ISN’T A BIG DEAL TO GOD

July 26, 2010 at 12:02 PM (Christian Living)

We are so prone to fussing and fighting. Complaining and criticizing. Sometimes we do it just to pick a fight because we’re in a downright dirty, adversarial frame of mind. At other times, we do it because we feel so passionately about what we believe. We’re out to right the wrong. We’re on a mission to right the world. Brethren, there’s nothing wrong with the passion or the mission, so long as you’re truly in the right, in the Spirit, and in the center of God’s will. But, as personal experience and Scriptures show, that’s not always the case. Beloved, IT’S POSSIBLE TO FIGHT FOR SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE IS RIGHT, BUT, UNBEKNOWNST TO YOU, AND TO YOUR UTTER SHOCK AND DISBELIEF, YOU’RE AS WRONG AS WRONG CAN BE. That’s a hard one to accept and admit. In all probability, no one can convince you you’re  wrong because you’re so dead sure you’re right. It’ll have to be the Lord Himself to show you the wrongness of it all. Here’s a case in point.

The story is found in Numbers 12:1-15. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. {2} And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. {3} (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) {4} And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. {5} And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. {6} And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. {7} My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. {8} With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? {9} And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. {10} And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. {11} And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my Lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. {12} Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb. {13} And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. {14} And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. {15} And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

Moses, you will remember, married Zipporah while he was in exile in Midian. We don’t know what became of her. All we’re told in the text is that Moses married an Ethiopian woman. Miriam, evidently, objected to this marriage. She was against it. She was dead sure that Moses was wrong to marry the woman. So she roped her brother Aaron into raising a stink about it. Boy did it stink. It stunk so bad that the Lord Himself showed up to clear the air. Let this be a lesson to us. Fighting stinks. It gets the Lord involved. And when He’s done talking, somebody’s going to get the rod of chastisement and it’s going hurt for a little while.

Like many of us today, Miriam believed she was so totally right. Moses was so totally wrong. She was right to fight. She was out to right a wrong. But the simple fact of the matter was, she was wrong. The good Lord had to tell her she was wrong. She was chastised for her conduct and her lip. And Aaron came to acknowledge the foolishness and sinfulness of what he and Miriam had done. Friends, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO THINK YOU’RE RIGHT. BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO YOU, YOU’RE WRONG. Said differently, IT’S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE WRONG EVEN WHEN YOU THINK YOU’RE RIGHT. IT’S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE WRONG IN A MATTER THAT YOU’RE SO SURE YOU’RE RIGHT. You don’t think you’re wrong. There’s no possible way you’re wrong. You’re blinded to the right. You can’t see you’re wrong.

Brethren, if you don’t want the Lord to show up with the rod, you’ve got to take the time to see things from a different perspective. Step out of your shoes and try to see what other people see. Ask the Lord to show you the true perspective of things. Don’t be fast to fight. Think before you stink. Pray before you pounce. Cool off before you criticize and complain. Get the Lord’s mind before you speak yours. If you do these things you’ll come to see things differently. You’ll see things you didn’t see before.

For example, in the text of Scripture, you’ll see that there’s nothing wrong with Moses marrying an Ethiopian woman. You may not like it. But that doesn’t mean the marriage is wrong. You may not agree with Moses. But that doesn’t mean Moses is wrong. The only marriages the Lord forbade were marriages with the Canaanites (Exodus 34:11-16). The woman in question here was a Cushite (KJV Ethiopian). So, technically, even Scripturally, Moses was within his right to marry the woman.

If Miriam had taken the time to set her own feelings aside and see the bigger picture she would have seen that God didn’t punish Moses for marrying the woman. Moses was not under Divine censure or chastisement for marrying the woman. In fact, God’s blessings and anointing were still on Moses as His chosen leader of the Israelite nation. Moses was still in good standing with God. All these go to show that the Lord Himself didn’t disapprove of the marriage. He evidently didn’t find anything wrong with the marriage. Hence, while Moses’ marriage was a big deal to Miriam, it clearly wasn’t a big deal to God. What really bothered Miriam didn’t bother God. What was so disagreeable to Miriam wasn’t at all disagreeable to God.

Brethren, the rule of thumb is this. IF GOD ISN’T BOTHERED, DON’T BOTHER. IF HE ISN’T CONCERNED, DON’T BE. IF IT ISN’T A BIG DEAL TO GOD, DON’T MAKE IT ONE. IF GOD DOESN’T OBJECT OR CONDEMN, NEITHER SHOULD YOU. IF HE’S SILENT, YOU OUGHT TO BE TOO. IF THE BIBLE ISN’T BEING TRANSGRESSED, DON’T ACT AND TALK AS IF IT IS. Friends, learn from Miriam and Aaron. DON’T FUSS WHEN THERE’S REALLY NOTHING SCRIPTURALLY WRONG OR NOTHING WORTH FUSSING OVER. Personal is one thing. Scriptural is another. You can have all kinds of personal feelings, opinions, and convictions. But unless something is definitely, Scripturally wrong, keep your feelings and objections to yourself. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t start a war. If you do otherwise, you just might find yourself standing before the Lord at the Tabernacle of the congregation. And that, my friends, is one meeting you just don’t want to have with the Lord!

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BELIEVERS TOO LATE

July 16, 2010 at 8:21 AM (From The Bible, Musings)

While studying through the Book of Acts recently, an old, familiar question came to mind: Did Saul ever meet the Lord personally prior to his conversion? He says nothing of it, so, as a matter of conjecture, I don’t think he did. However, because Saul was a self-proclaimed defender of the Jewish faith and defended it zealously to the death, I think it’s highly likely that Saul saw the Lord and heard Him speak on occasion in Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion. As adamantly opposed as Saul was to the followers of Jesus, I personally think, again as a matter of conjecture, that Saul was present at Jesus’ trial and was numbered among those who called for His death and crucifixion. It is inconceivable for me to think otherwise.

Be that as it may, Saul was so totally convinced that he was right: Jesus of Nazareth was definitely not the promised Messiah; He was a deceiver who threatened to lead the entire Jewish nation away from the teachings and traditions of Israel’s esteemed rabbis; Jesus, His teachings, and His followers needed to be eradicated and stamped out!

But all this changed one day on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Saul “met” the Lord personally, believed in Him, and went on to become the leading evangelist and apologist of the very Church that he once sought to kill and destroy. Meeting the Lord personally changed his entire belief system. It changed his vocation from devoted Pharisee to devoted Christian. It changed his life forever.

Meeting the Lord personally has this drastic, life-changing impact as many of us can testify. Let me hasten to say that not every one who meets the Lord personally believes in Him. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day is ample proof of this tragic fact. But for those of us who are ordained unto eternal life, an encounter with the living Christ changed us forever. And it’s still changing us to this day. The point I’m trying to make, based on Saul’s conversion, is this. (Remember that I’m only talking about those who are preordained by God to eternal life.) WHEN YOU MEET THE LORD YOU BECOME A CHANGED PERSON. YOU BECOME A BELIEVER. You espouse the Person, doctrines, and lifestyle that you once hated, rejected, and opposed. Your Damascus Road becomes the beginning of a changed life.

In a sort of way, EVERYONE WHO MEETS THE LORD BECOMES A BELIEVER. Hear me out because I’m not being contradictory or heretical here. James 2:16 reads, Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. The Devil and his demons believe many truths that countless humans reject. They believe in God. They believe Jesus is the Son of God. They know that salvation is found only in Christ. They know the Bible’s true. And more. But for all their knowing and believing, the Devil and his demons aren’t saved because they’ve chosen to reject the very Person they believe. So, in a manner of speaking, the Devil and his demons are believers, but damned believers because of their rejection of Christ.

Like the Devil and his demons, every human being at the moment of death and continuing endlessly to the Day of Judgment and Eternal Punishment, becomes a believer. They finally meet the Lord face to face and realize, all too late, that what the Bible says is true after all. There is only one true God and one true, saving religion. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the only way to God and Heaven. There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. There is life after death. There is eternal torment and suffering in store for all those who refuse to believe in Jesus and who live defiantly and disobediently to the moral precepts of God’s Word. In a word, AT THE MOMENT OF DEATH AND ETERNALLY THEREAFTER, THE LOST AND THE UNSAVED BECOME BELIEVERS…BUT BELIEVERS TOO LATE. They refused to become believers while alive on the Earth. And so, as a Divine consequence, they become damned believers for all eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire.

Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus is sobering proof of this sad and profound truth. The parable is found in Luke 16:19-31 if you’d like to read it. I encourage you to read it. It’s convincing proof of my contention that all men will eventually become believers. Some believe before they die and henceforth live forever with the Lord, even after death. And some believe after they die and henceforth live damned and tormented forever after. But this one thing is sure: THERE ARE NO ATHEISTS OR AGNOSTICS IN HELL. FORMER ATHEISTS AND AGNOSTICS, YES. BUT IN HELL THEY ARE NOW BELIEVERS. BUT BELIEVERS TOO LATE.

Seeing therefore that all of us will, sooner or later, eventually, become believers; the goal is to become believers now—while we’re alive—lest we die in unbelief and become believers too late. Hell is a million times more hellish than you can imagine. It is your absolute worst nightmare, only a million times multiplied. Take the worst pain you’ve ever felt, multiply it a million times, and you’ll have just a faint notion of what the suffering in  Hell is like. It’ll definitely be worse than that once you get there. Hell is irreversible. There is no way out. I do not wish this fate for anyone. If you don’t believe in Jesus right now, please reverse course and give your life to Him while you have a chance to do so. Mark my word. You’ll end up believing Him anyway. But if you wait too long to believe, then, after you die, you will be a believer too late. A damned believer. Friend, don’t let this tragic fate be yours.

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