Hmm…Where Did I Hear That Before?

So I’ve been reading Mastering Self-Leadership here and there at home. Today I ran across this text:

One aspect of naturally rewarding activities, which many would argue provides a sense of purpose, involves helping or expressing goodwill toward others. The term altruism is often used in connection with this idea. The author Hans Seyle has suggested the way to enjoy a rewarding lifestyle, free of disabling stress, is to practice “altruistic egoism.” In essence, this idea involves helping others and “earning their love” while at the same time recognizing one’s own needs and enhancing oneself (egoism). Seyle explains that the natural biological nature of humankind drives people toward self-preservation, or what might be more bluntly described as selfishness. The philosophy suggests that only by marrying this innate, self-centered nature with an attitude of winning the goodwill and respect of others through altruistic efforts will a happy, meaningful life result. On the other hand, in a scholarly article analyzing evidence from biology and psychology, another author, Martin Hoffman, concludes that an altruistic motive may exist in humans apart from egoistic motives. The evidence suggests that altruism may be a part of human nature that is not entwined with any “selfish” motive.

Well blimey! Where have we heard this before? Is he saying that we are created with an innate desire to want to love our neighbor and that when we do so, we feel good about it (“blessed”)? It’s amazing to me that the more our sciences advance and learn about the way the world works, the more it points to what Bible has been telling us for millennia.

Counter-Circumstance

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 
– Romans 12:12

This verse caught my attention this morning because the tone of it makes it sound like Paul is telling us to have these qualities about us under circumstances which would not ordinarily allow for that quality, yet upon initial inspection of those qualities and circumstances, they do not seem like ones that would ordinarily contrast. In other words, it seems odd at first to have to be commanded to be joyful in hope and faithful in prayer…at first.

Reflect for a moment today: Am I joyful in hope? When I long for something, do I do so joyfully or do I do it impatiently and frustratingly?

Am I patient in affliction? Do I wait expectantly without complaining when I am in circumstances that are harmful or uncomfortable for me?

Am I faithful in prayer? Think of this in both senses of the word faithful. Am I consistent and disciplined in my prayer life? Do I meet with God regularly to both speak and listen to Him? And when I pray, do I do so in faith that He will answer? Do I trust Him to respond to me in a way that is for my good?

Turn Right to Go Left

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped

–Philippians 2:5-6

This passage always struck me as kind of odd for some reason. Why wouldn’t Jesus consider equality with God something to be grasped? Isn’t this verse sort of paradoxical? After all, Paul says it right there - “who, being in very nature God.” This phrase “in very nature God” means having all the specific qualities that make God God. To paraphrase Paul here, he’s essentially saying You should act and think like Jesus, who, being God didn’t consider being God something one (including himself) can do.

It then occurred to me that not only can we not be equal with God, but that shouldn’t even be our goal. Think about those who have professed or strived to be like God. A few come to mind: Adam & Eve, Lucifer… Yeah, it didn’t work out too well for them. God is not a big fan of those who try to be like Him. In fact, he labeled this sin Pride.

Consider instead, Jesus. He humbled himself. He made himself lower than everyone and “therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Phil 2:9). So God exalts the humble. Sound familiar? Sermon on the mount?

This is one of those upside-down Kingdom concepts. The first will be last and the last will be first and the humble will be lifted up and the proud will be oppressed. This concept does not make intuitive sense to us. Remember Lightning McQueen following the race against Doc Hudson on the dirt track? McQueen turns his wheels to hard and ends up spinning out sending him careening down a cliff. In an act of mercy, Doc lets McQueen in on the secret – you must turn right to go left. It doesn’t make intuitive sense to McQueen so he resists at first and again fails. Then, he begins to understand that Doc’s instructions were correct – he was teaching him to drift – the most effective method for turning on a dirt track. Once McQueen understands this, it helps him be successful and propels him to the lead in the Piston Cup race.

Now, we do have some qualities about us that are indeed like God. We are creative, we have the capacity for love, we are spiritual beings, to name a few. But our goal should not be to be like God. Instead, our aim should be to be like Jesus. Today, let’s try to consider others better than ourselves.

Love Smarts

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. –Philippians 1:9-11

My Community Group is going through the book of Philippians in conjunction with the current sermon series “The Joy Genome.” I came across this passage in the study guide we’re following when it asked the question about what those verses have to do with spiritual maturity. At first I thought it was one of those questions that you had to be in the mind of the person writing the question to be able to answer, but then I thought about it some more.

In this passage, Paul is telling the church at Philippi that he is praying that they will love each other with a love that is filled with knowledge and depth of insight so they can discern what is best until Jesus comes back. It struck me that when we are close to God (mature) we will begin to love like God loves. God shows us his love by loving us in ways that perfectly meet our needs. He knows perfectly how we need to be loved. Paul is praying that the church will also love like that – that our love will be filled with knowledge and depth of insight.

Let’s pray this morning that God will give us knowledge and depth of insight into someone’s needs and then let’s love that person in that way.

One Generation at a Time

But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things…He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live. 

– Ezekiel 18:14,17b

Ezekiel spends chapter 18 putting to rest a misunderstanding the people had about original sin (the idea that Adam’s sin is passed from one generation to the next). The people supposed that because a father was caught up in a particular sin, that sin and its consequences were passed from him to his sons (and daughters).

Now, we know there’s nothing genetic about sin. Sure, we live in a fallen world and share in Adam’s sinful nature, but we don’t inherit anger or pride from our fathers the same way we inherit their eye color or stunning good looks. Growing up watching our fathers’ habitual sins can wear off on us, however, the same way their accent or disdain for the Cleveland Browns do (go Steelers!). However, we can put an end to the passing down of our father’s sin simply by turning away from it. Just stop. Draw a line in the sand and say, “Starting with me, there will be no more <sin of choice> in my house.” Not only are you repenting of your own sin, but you are increasing the chance your progeny will not continue in this sin because they will not witness you committing it.

What bad habits or sinful tendencies did you “inherit” from your parents or those around you? Draw your line in the sand and declare today that it ends with you.

Lord, thank you for loving me and covering over my sins. Father, help me identify the sin in my life that I picked up from watching others. Give me the strength to repent from it so that future generations and those I meet from now on will not inherit this sin from me. Amen.

You Put Your Right Hand Out

Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? – Psalm 74:11

We all get frustrated with God at some point about this – don’t we? Psalm 74 starts by describing the people who are destroying Israel. Asaph (the author) is pleading with God to do something about it. God – how could you allow this to happen to your children Israel? Why don’t you help us? Why don’t you do something?!

Have you ever had a good friend or family member infected with a disease that was destroying their body? Has your family ever been in a circumstance that started tearing your family apart? Why does God allow bad things to happen to those he supposedly loves?

That’s too big a question to answer in the scope of a devotional like this, but our hope comes from the following verse, “But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.” – Psalm 74:12.

God is King. History is the story of his will revealed. God holds our past and our future in his hands. Let’s rest confident today in his power. When God can but doesn’t, he’s got something better in mind. We need to trust him. Be confident today because He is our King, the one who brings salvation to the earth.

Question of the Morning

Last night, Pastor Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church, where Megan and I “attend” (I put that in quotes because the word attend doesn’t do justice to our commitment to and involvement in this body of believers and move of God we are a part of) laid down vision for the next chapter in Elevation’s story. It was rather exciting. [I’m going to need to make this brief because my computer’s telling me my battery is about to die :( ]. Pastor encouraged us to ask ourselves What does God want to do through me? That’s a great question for entering this next chapter in our church’s history, but' it’s also a great question to start the day with.

What does God want to do through you today? Maybe He wants to holy-ly mess you up. Maybe He wants to teach you about sacrifice. Maybe He wants to bless you some-kind-of-crazy.

Lord, what do you want to do through me today?