The Big "I"

A dear friend "guest-preached" this morning at LCUMC., reminding us of the biblical 

call to praise the Lord (Psalm 8). He expounded on the idea that our atmosphere is threatened by the obnoxious, toxic chemical of PRIDE. We have become self-centered and selfish, taking our eyes off of the Lord. We have relocated God from the center-- King-- of our lives and replaced God with our own selves on the throne of our beings (my words). He taught us that praise is the antidote to pride. When we are praising God, it is impossible to be prideful. 

We hear very little about "sIn" these days. The heart of sIn (bad choice of words?) is the letter, "I." All sin is rooted in selfishness. Disregarding God's best for us and doing things our own way make more sense to us than obeying a bunch of ancient rules. Our self-centered, relativistic culture thinks, "I'm okay, you're okay." We don't want absolutes--"do your own thing and I'll do mine."

Consider the Big 10 (commandments). How many of these are kept? How many are broken without any sense of wrong-doing?

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall make no idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

Is "murder" the only one that might call for justice? Perhaps "stealing?" The disregard and disrespect for God's law (another word we don't like) show prIde and selfishness.

Jesus summed up the "10" as "Love God with all your heart, mind, body, and strength" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." The LAST word of the two greatest commandments is "yourself." No room for sinful pride, here.

I love words (but don't believe there's any magic or hidden meaning in them). However, just as sIn and prIde have "I' at the center, so praIse and humIlity have "I" off-centered. When we are humble, "thinking of ourselves less and thinking of God more"(Rick Warren) and when we praIse the Lord, we put ourselves aside and look to God. Our life's focus is as it should be.

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up." James 4:10.

Family Crises in God's Hands

Family Crises in God's Hands

My husband looked up from his phone (news, FB, email) and said, "Do you realize that three of our four children are in crisis?" 

That's a pretty revealing question from a man who rarely shares his feelings. I've wondered how he does it--how he takes it all in and seems to have a handle on it all, no real worries. He is my ROCK (next to my faith in the Lord) so I secretly don't want him to share those kinds of feelings and let me know that he, too, is so concerned. That's not fair to him, though. We should share one another's burdens.

So what happened? It's easy to go down the "where did we go wrong?" trail. It's easy to place blame on others. Or ... to take the blame ourselves when, really, it's not ours to take. It's tempting to attempt to "fix" things for these children, now grown adults. 

Knowing the right amount of parenting to disseminate to our adult children challenges us.  Two rarely ask for help and one is quite needy. I talk easily with two of them and haltingly with the third. Are we through parenting? Do we only offer help when asked?

As the Holy Spirit reminds me to pray in all things, as well as to rejoice in all things, I want to obey. Trusting God and God's Word in difficult times is often the only lifeline we have--certainly the surest and strongest help. 

As much (or more) than scripture passages, words from hymns and worship songs come to mind and aid in troubling times. 

Lines such as the following: 

Jesus, the name that calms my fears, that bids my sorrows cease. ‘Tis music in the inner’s ears, ‘tis life and health and peace. 

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms? I have blessed peace with my Lord so dear, leaning on the everlasting arms.

When darkness hides his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; In ev’ry high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid rock I stand.

Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s Sword, standing on the promises of God.

I need Thee every hour. I need thee ev’ry hour;

Stay thou nearby.

Temptations lose their pow’r, when thou art nigh.

Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, were not the right man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing. Dost ask who that may be, Christ Jesus, it is He…and He must win the battle.