?humiliation/HUMBLE>BALANCE
I thought I’d share a few thoughts from my morning devotion on Fri … you HAVE to READ THIS in the Message – I LOVE IT…
1 Peter 3:8-14 MSG (Compare the message with the KJV below )Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. (9) That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless--that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing. (10) Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here's what you do: Say nothing evil or hurtful; (11) Snub evil and cultivate good; run after peace for all you're worth. (12) God looks on all this with approval, listening and responding well to what he's asked; But he turns his back on those who do evil things. (13) If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? (14) Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought.
1st you have to know – that while I was praying the night before – asking GOD how do we balance humility with being BOLD? – and apologizing that we so often confuse humility with cowardice and think that anyone that speaks “boldly” is “arrogant”…
While certainly some people (even CHRISTAINS/...even, dare I say,... PREACHERS/PASTORS) can carry such a distasteful air of ARROGANCE … that it may want to cause you want to move as far away from anything that they promote or celebrates them.
The spirit of Humility will NEVER lose it’s place – it is truly beautiful – it is truly CHRIST LIKE –
Believe me, I know – someone can be HUMBLE and not be Christ like –
But be very assured – No one can be Christ Like and not be HUMBLE –
Let me just say – I have had my share of Humiliating Moments – I have, at times, felt this was one of my primary giftings - you know, doing embarrassing things – I was just SOOO, SUPER SKILLED at it.
Unfortunately – I discovered that the greatest value of this was NOT to show I was HUMBLE – more that I had, yet another, layer of PRIDE that needing to be exposed.
Humiliation is much more closely related to Pride than Humility
While dealing with my pride I discovered so many insecurities – of which through a desperately lazy attempt to compensate - came across often as ARROGANCE …
Really, I still feel that what people saw as arrogance was just a pitiful self-defense mechanism for a young man trying to cope with a great deal of self loathing –
God, in His infinite mercy, helped me out – so much … but considering all of this … when reading God’s Word about Boldness I personally struggle with all of the “faith speak” that many are rightfully teaching.
We are taught to “HUMBLE ourselves and Pray” (2Ch 7:14)
We are taught to “Come Boldly before the throne” (Heb 4:16)
We are taught we are “the righteousness of God”… (2Co 5:21) and then of course …
We are taught “that OUR righteousness is as filthy rags; (Isa 64:6)
Let me ask YOU – how do YOU reconcile these seemingly incompatible “conditions” we should be aspiring to attain?
same scripture - in the good ol' KJV -
1 Peter 3:9-14 KJVR Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. (10) For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: (11) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. (12) For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto THEIR prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. (13) And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? (14) But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
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