Have you ever heard someone attribute a weakness or mistake to being human?
The apostle Peter might suggest that a more accurate description of such action would be that we’ve acted inhumanely. In fact, in his second letter, we see that it is in being fully human that we most closely resemble Jesus.
More than 80 references in Scripture warn against self-exaltation.
In fact, Jesus spoke about humility and pride more often than any other moral contrast, perhaps because these two postures determine how well we love. Pride resists reconciliation not only with God but also with others.
This past Friday, the women in my small group and I talked about blessings.
Then we blessed one another.
I had written out various blessings for us, and one by one, each of us looked into the eyes of the woman on her right and spoke the blessing over her.
Most of them had never received or given a blessing before.
If you’ve read my last two stories, you know my life changed when I fell in love with Jesus (Part 1) and learned to abide and not strive (Part 2).
This is the story of how I exchanged my exhausting self-effort for the power of God that is found when we abide in Jesus.
I’ve always been a rule follower, so when I chose to follow Jesus, I wanted to learn all the rules—what not to do and what to do.
I worked hard to memorize Scripture, to serve God, and to study the Bible. I worked hard at being kind and loving to others. I always gave everyone the bigger piece of chocolate cake.
Once upon a time, I read verses like these and kind of wrote them off as something that just wasn’t typical for Christians. While I talked about God’s love a lot, I didn’t exactly feel it like that—but I dutifully did all that I thought God expected of me.
I have surprised my husband with a gift just once.
“C’mon,” I told him one Christmas, motioning for him to follow me to the garage.
He gave me a curious look when he saw something covered by a sheet.
Revelation 3:20 is often used as a picture of salvation offered by Jesus, but, in context, He is talking to believers. His words come at the end of His message to the Laodiceans, a spiritually impoverished church that Jesus described as “lukewarm.”