A Counselor Reflects on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
“But though natural likings should normally be encouraged, it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable is to sit trying to manufacture affectionate feelings. Some people are ‘cold’ by temperament; that may be a misfortune for them, but it is no more a sin than having a bad digestion is a sin; and it does not cut them out from the chance, or excuse them from the duty, of learning charity (p. 130).” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I love the balanced and nuanced approach the Lewis takes to the subject of temperament (i.e., personality; disposition: lion-otter-beaver-retriever; Myers-Brigg’s Type Indicator, etc…). I would summarize Lewis’ thoughts on the subject in four statements.
1. Temperament is real. People are different. These differences can be classified in legitimate and helpful ways. Children are born with innate preferences and tendencies that remain constant across the life span, often withstanding even traumatic events or major changes in their social environment.
No one classification system “holds the market” on describing these differences. Each test and classification system embeds certain biases of the author which may distract from pointing people to greater dependence upon Christ. Some people will identify with the descriptions of one test over another; others will reject being classified at all (don’t tell them the tests usually predict that).
2. Temperament is amoral. Having one temperament is not morally superior or inferior to another. There is no “Jesus temperament.” I would go so far as to say that it is unhelpful to depict Jesus as the perfect balance of all temperaments (whether you have 4, 8, or 16 in your system). That has a strong tendency to “make God in our own image;” a tendency Christian counseling literature is prone to do.
Someone may be naturally melancholy (given to depression), analytical (given to anxiety), introverted (avoidant of biblical community), or judging (given to over-confidence). These dispositions would represent their most common temptations, and therefore be considered what Scripture calls “the flesh,” but the pervasive temptation would not be inherently wrong unless acted/fixated upon.
3. Temperament is a moral challenge. Our personality does make certain moral duties more difficult or less pleasurable to fulfill. However, God does not write a unique set of expectations for all 16 combinations of the MBTI.
I believe Romans 12:3 applies to this challenge. Paul warns against thinking too highly of ourselves – a common temptation for each person to think his/her approach is “right” or “obvious.” Temperament, like every other unique aspect of a person, has a tendency to be self-centered. Paul also says God has assigned a measure of faith to each person – meaning some acts of faith/obedience are easier for certain people.
4. Temperament is not who you are. The reason all these things can be true is that there is a “you” who has a temperament. Your temperament reveals the values that you most naturally hold. They were given to you (like your body, talents, and intelligence were given to you) to be stewarded for a purpose.
When we define ourselves by our temperament (or body, talents, or intelligence) we lose the sense that God called “me” to steward “what He has given me” for his glory and begin to fall into pride or insecurity. Both pride and insecurity begin to use God’s gift as a reason why we are the exception to God’s rules.
Posted 5 days, 20 hours ago at 12:16 pm. 1 comment
A Counselor Reflects on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
“[Pride] is purely spiritual: consequently it is far more subtle and deadly. For the same reason, Pride can often be used to beat down the simpler vices. Teachers, in fact, often appeal to a boy’s Pride, or, as they call it, his self-respect, to make him behave decently: many a man has overcome cowardice, or lust, or ill-temper, by learning to think that they are beneath his dignity—that is, by Pride. The devil laughs. He is perfectly content to see you becoming chaste and brave and self-controlled provided, all the time, he is setting up in you the Dictatorship of Pride. (p. 125).” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I think this quote boils down to trying to understand with what’s so wrong with thinking that sin is “beneath me”? If someone is “pro-pride,” they probably aren’t reading this reflection. Few people have a problem with acknowledging that Satan would love to see us lay down a less destruction sin for a more destructive one.
So the point that makes this quote uncomfortable is that Lewis depicts it as Satan’s ultimate setup to get me to view sin as “beneath me.” I find myself internally torn on this one. My gut doesn’t automatically go where Lewis goes, but I agree with the point he’s making. I have given myself the “you’re better than that” pep talk to avoid sin.
As I wrestle with Lewis’ warning about pride, I realize there is a better pep talk to give (and receive). It is the “that is not who you are” talk. The first pep talk was focused on rank and status – better than. The latter is based on identity.
The difference, as I think Lewis would affirm, is that Jesus did not come to make much of me (rank and status) but to reside in me and adopt me (change my identity and name). When I get this I realize sin is not “beneath me” it is “outside of me.” I was born “in sin” and now I am “in Christ.”
The reason that sin is resisted has less to do with my dignity and everything to do with His. If I begin to think about my dignity, Satan has half the battle won. I am comparing sin to me. Sin does not appear nearly as sinful when I compare it with my nature.
The more I marvel at my nature, the dingier my nature becomes and the less I am looking to Christ as my righteousness. Disdain for every sin that is not actively relying upon Christ is the epitome of being a Pharisee—loving the laws that make me look good, because they make me look good and give me status.
If I were to summarize Lewis’s point and application, it would be: If Satan cannot get us to love self by sinning, then he is content to get us to love self by feeling superior to sin. God calls us to find life by denying self and, thereby, experiencing the freedom God intended.
An example might be helpful. Lewis says we can overcome cowardice by pride and this would be a bad thing. The problem would be that you would have to convince yourself you are “above” what you fear. If you fear rejection, then “it wouldn’t matter what people say.” This has the strong potential of giving us deaf ears to important messages of critique.
However, if what people say matters but does not define who I am, then I can be steadfast without the deafening influence of pride. I could face my fear as real, learning from my fear and the words of critique, without having to condemn myself or those who raise questions. That is the freedom of humility.
Posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago at 11:29 am. Add a comment
A Counselor Reflects on Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
“’Forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us.’ There is no slightest suggestion that we are offered forgiveness on any other terms. It is made perfectly clear that if we do not forgive we shall not be forgiven. There are no two ways about it. What are we to do (p.116)?” Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
I once heard a pastor say that if he preached every sermon on forgiveness, he still would address the subject enough. Well, if he preached with this kind of punch, he also might not have a job. It’s not that I disagree with C.S. Lewis (or have the audacity to disagree with Jesus), but it just hurts to have this truth articulated in such a straight-forward manner.
The force of Jesus’ words reminds of us a central truth to our Christian walk – when we were forgiven we were purchased and therefore no longer belong to Satan or even ourselves (I Cor. 6:19-20). Jesus does not speak as a contractor making a recommendation about repairs to the owner of the house (our lives). Jesus speaks as the Builder and Twice-Owner (by creation and redemption) of the house (our lives).
We are like the renter who has been in a house for so long that we naturally call it our own and increasingly treat as our own, even though we know we pay the “rent” and not the “mortgage.” We are so comfortable in “our life” that when the Owner speaks we get offended and try to find a way to escort Him off His property.
In effect, the command to forgive is God saying, “I let you live morally rent free (paid daily by the blood of Christ), so I expect you not to charge anyone else moral rent. If you must, charge their moral rent to the same account that pays your own.” In that sense, it is actually a very, very kind command.
Think about it. What if someone offered to pay for your housing and their requirement of you was that if someone else ever owed you money to tell them to pay that debt too? Would you take the deal? The only reason that you would hesitate is to verify that it was a legitimate offer.
So when we are offended by the command to forgive others, it is us who have to answer the hard questions, not God. We have to explain how we feel justified in accepting free moral rent while trying to retain the “right” to charge others moral rent. Our indignation is actually our shame.
But that shame is covered with the same offer as our prior debt if we will humble ourselves and receive it. God is not a Landlord who delights in evicting his tenants (don’t stretch the metaphor to encompass the assurance of salvation). But rather God will forgive the debts of unforgiven-debts if we will surrender our perceived right to collect them.
The question becomes, “Who do we think we are?” If we are the same person who prayed “the sinner’s prayer,” then we are welcome to live in God’s provision all our life (temporal and eternal). However, if we believe we have become a different caliber of person, then we will live with all the moral, emotional, and relational “luxury” that our merit can provide. That is the equivalent of being homeless.
Live in grace and allow others to be your house guest.
Posted 2 months, 4 weeks ago at 12:15 pm. Add a comment
“Eyes” of the Counseling Ministry – The presentation will cover two subjects. (1) The core values of the counseling ministry: Bible-based, Gospel-centered, differentiating sin and suffering, not one-size-fits-all, embedded within the church, and transitioning into the general small group ministry. Leaders need to understand how these values are embedded throughout the counseling materials. (2) How to avoid a struggle-based identity when using a struggle-specific curriculum.
“Our deepest problem is that we seek to find our identity outside the story of redemption (p. 27)… In fact, the longer we struggle with a problem, the more likely we are to define ourselves by that problem (divorced, addicted, depressed, co-dependent, ADD). We come to believe that our problem is who we are. But while these labels may describe particular ways we struggle as sinners [or sufferers] in a fallen world, they are not our identity! If we allow them to define us, we will live trapped within their boundaries. This is no way for a child of God to live (p. 260)!” Paul Tripp in Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand
Session 1.
“What Is a Freedom Group?”
Purpose and Vision of Freedom Groups
Freedom Groups Training – Session 1 from The Summit Church on Vimeo.
Session 2
“What a Freedom Group is Not”
How to Avoid a Struggle-Based Identity
Freedom Groups Training – Session 2 from The Summit Church on Vimeo.
Handout for Night One, Session Two: WHO I AM IN CHRIST_KELLEMEN
Posted 3 months ago at 11:21 am. Add a comment
This post is meant to offer guidance to common “What now?” questions that could emerge from Pastor J.D.’s sermon on I Peter 1:13-21 preached at The Summit Church Saturday/Sunday October 29-30, 2011.
One of the primary meanings of the word holiness is “set apart.” But I think I have had a bad mental picture of what it means to be “set apart” for some time. My instinct was to think of what happened to the baseball with which a pitcher got the final out of a no-hitter.
That baseball would then be marked, set on a shelf, loved, shown to a few special friends, but would never again touch a leather glove in a live game. It ceased being a baseball and became a decoration. No baseball-related purpose remained in the “life” of that baseball.
I think we can create a similar image of what it means to be holy as Christians. We are marked (sealed with the Holy Spirit; Eph. 4:30), set apart, loved by God, talk about holiness with a few also-holy friends, but serve very little salt and light functions in a real world marked by darkness and decay.
If we think of holiness this way, then it would have a very awkward synonym – “useless ornament.” But in I Peter 1:13-21, where holiness is referenced four times in eight verses, there is no trace of this kind of passivity. Rather in verse 14 Peter says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.”
In this verse holiness is marked by activity, and worldliness is marked by passivity or mindlessness. First, Peter refers to his readers as “obedient children.” This means that holiness does something (obey) in response to life-defining relationship (child of God). With this in mind, holiness carries the connotation of being “set apart” in an orphanage because you have been adopted, and your life will be marked by a new name with all the opportunities afforded by that name, rather than it does with being a random baseball that was randomly selected for one pitch and then never functionally useful again.
Second, Peter portrays worldliness with passive language – sitting in the value-desire press of the influences around you, following them without thinking; like a goose flying south for the winter. With worldliness there is much less intentionality or passion (here used in the sense of pursuing or fulfilling something of unique value). It is the epitome of the herd effect.
So what should we do in response to this more accurate active, missional view of holiness? I will offer three responses that I believe are appropriate to being “set apart.”
Worship: We should celebrate like adopted children preparing to see their new home and meet their new extended family. It is an awesome privilege to be “set apart” that should cause our hearts to sing (whether our voices have the skill to bless others when they join in or not). God has done a great and gracious thing when He set us apart and we should respond daily like children on Christmas morning opening the gift of new mercies every morning.
Take On a New Identity: I remember one conversation with my father after a knuckle-headed action of my youth. His instruction to me was not a set of steps on how to avoid being knuckle-headed. He simply said, “Hambrick men don’t act that way.” I wish that statement were more true. “Hambrick men don’t have immunity to knuckle-headedness, but the principle of allowing your identity drive your activity was solid. Holiness is an identity before it is an activity. So, be who you are… in Christ!
Live as Exiled Ambassadors: This is the active component of holiness. We were “set apart” in a hostile world to be a part of God’s redemptive mission (this is the theme of I Peter as a whole). With all the tension implied in the phrase, we were both rescued from and left in the world. We were left in the world to be a continuation of the rescue mission that God began in us. When we value our freedom (by way of self-protection or personal convenience) more than the freedom of those around us (by living as local missionaries) we no longer bear the image of our adopted Father (Matt 22:37-40; 2 Pet. 3:9).
Let us be “Christ men” and “Christ women” (that is what being a “Christian” first meant; Acts 11:26) and recognize that our lives were set apart for the agents of His grace, not ornaments of His grace.
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 11:17 am. Add a comment
In the midst of life struggles, our identity can be rooted in our sin, our suffering, or our Savior. When things are good (or when we live in denial) our identity can be attached to our achievements, relationships, appearance, job, or many other things. But when things are hard we tend to identify our selves by what we’ve done wrong, the wrongs that have been done against us, or the God who forgives and loves us.
When we root our identity in our sin we beat ourselves up for being stupid, lazy, selfish, and lacking self-control. We begin to make “I am” statements that end with our sin: addict, angry, perverse, etc…
In this case we downplay the significance of Christ’s death to forgive our sin. This results in us playing God by trying to “forgive ourselves.” Our identity has already established that our sin is more dominant than Christ’s blood, so it only makes sense (although we would never say it out loud) that our forgiveness would be required “in addition to” God’s.
When we root our identity in our suffering we define ourselves by the bad things that have happened to us. We begin to make “I am” statements that end with our suffering: divorced, depressed, abused, etc…
In this case we downplay the degree to which we are loved by God. We believe our history has made us unlovable. The result is that we begin to play God by trying to “love ourselves” more to compensate for what our identity has declared unattainable from God.
In both cases, something becomes more central to “who we are” than being God’s children. Then, because God has been rooted out of his rightful place in our identity, we begin to try to do for ourselves what only God can healthily and satisfyingly do.
This is so common, that many readers are probably surprised that “forgiving myself” and “loving myself more” would be mentioned with a negative connotation. But the truth is they are attempts to live without God or declarations that what God has done is inadequate for our struggles.
The only solution to a sin-based identity or a suffering-based identity is to truly understand who we are in Christ. Everything else results in some form of God-playing self-reliance.
At the upcoming Summit counseling training a full hour will be devoted to the subject “How to Avoid a Struggle-Based Identity.” People ask for help because a struggle has begun to dominate their life. Too often life can be measured exclusively by how present my struggle is. The problem is that when I measure a “good day” by the absence of my struggle (sin or suffering), my struggle will remain the focal point of my life. I become trapped in recovery.
The only remedy is to center your life on something other than self, sin, or suffering. In explaining how to do this, our counseling training will explore what it means to have our identity rooted in Christ. This document (WHO I AM IN CHRIST_KELLEMEN) adapted from Bob Kellemen’s work will be a part of that training.
If you are interested in attending this counseling training, please RSVP (link). You can see the announcement post (link) for more information about dates, times, and content.
Posted 9 months, 1 week ago at 12:29 pm. Add a comment
This post is meant to offer guidance to common “what now” questions that could emerge from pastor J.D.’s sermon “The Inauguration: Luke 3-4,” preached at The Summit Church Saturday/Sunday March 12-13, 2011.
Was there something about Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3 that helped him resist the temptation He faced in Luke 4? I believe the answer is yes. But I do not believe the answer is found in the ceremony or experience. Rather, I think it was the expression of the Father, “You are my beloved Son, with You I am well pleased (3:22).”
Hold onto that thought and go with me to Narnia for a moment. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Edmund wrestles with a large amount of insecurity – due to his parents being in harm’s way because of war, being displaced from his home, and rivalry with his stronger, older brother Peter. From the moment he steps foot on Narnian soil, he is a king. But he doesn’t know it.
When he meets the White Witch, she offers to make him a prince if he will do her bidding. As an insecure boy far from home, that sounded like a great offer. As one of the four ancient kings prophesied and appointed by Aslan, that should have sounded like a really lousy offer. But Edmund did not know who he was, so he took it.
Most temptation boils down to Satan offering us what we already have in Christ. Satan is always willing to sell us what we already possess at a “steal of price.” If we do not know who we really are, we’ll take the deal.
Return to the temptation account of Luke 4 now. Notice that Jesus does not doubt who He is and, therefore, does not accept the short cuts (which are actually radical redefinitions) to attain what is already His.
As you seek to allow your identity as a child of God (Eph. 5:1) to serve as a protection in temptation, use these four questions to guide you.
Question #1: How do you define who you are? Do you define yourself by a certain relationship, ability, failure, event, dream, or occupation?
Question #2: How does your relationship with God, as His adopted and loved child, change your sense of identity? Did you view your baptism as a watershed moment in your life that forever changed who you are?
Question #3: What insecurities or areas of pride does Satan use to tempt you or create a context of temptation for you?
Question #4: In those times of temptation, how is Satan offering you something you already have in Christ?
Allow these questions to enable you to approach moments of temptation with greater confidence; not in yourself but in the superior provision of God for anything you will face. When faced with these questions, temptation leads us to worship rather than sin.
When we see this, the fear/shame that we often feel at the moment of temptation (which is not sin) dissipates, because we now have a map to move from failure to worship. As we compare the best of what Satan has to offer with who we already are and what we already have in Christ, the response should be laughter. In which case, Satan is the one who slinks away in shame and embarrassment, not the child of God.
Posted 11 months ago at 1:23 pm. 1 comment
Why Not Suffer Wrong? (6:7)
I don’t like this question. I don’t like what it implies. I especially don’t like it in the context in which it appears. I am an advocate for fairness and justice. Anything that appears to challenge these virtues makes me twitch. But Paul is saying that I should value unity in the church and Christ’s reputation in my community more than fairness and justice. To be balanced, Paul is not against the legal system. To the contrary he upholds it as God’s instrument of justice in Romans 13:1-7. But he says the legal system is no place for two feuding believers.
Paul is clear that the church should adjudicate civil disagreements between believers. Paul assumes both a level of involvement and competence by the church that would allow the church to fulfill this role. The reason for the church’s involvement is to protect the church’s reputation and to ensure Christian principles are honored.
Reflection: In order to follow this instruction we would have to value the unity of the church more than our “rights” and trust our church leaders more than the legal process (regardless of the outcome). That is challenging. Are you involved in the life of your church in such a way that you would be prepared to follow Paul’s commands? Does the corporate reputation of the church supersede your personal sense of justice? This passage challenges our hearts greatly even when our circumstances do not involve possible litigation.
Resource: Peacemakers Ministries (www.hispeace.org) is a parachurch organization devoted to helping Christians and churches settle differences through Christian Conciliation in a manner consistent with Paul’s teaching in I Corinthians 6.
Such Were Some of You (6:11)
We face at least two dangers with sin in modern culture. First, we have so narrowed the definition of sin that nothing is really sin anymore. Second, when we do speak of our “issues” they usually define us as a permanent part of our identity. I Corinthians 6 deals with the second of these dangers.
Paul had a church full of sex addicts, homosexuals, kleptomaniacs, workaholics, alcoholics, and pathological liars. In our culture, these would have been viewed as permanent conditions, diseases, or personality disorders. But Paul says “such were some of you.” This passage is not offering the Gospel as the quick panacea of these struggles. The profound struggles of the Corinthian church would refute that (5:1). But Paul does hold out hope for character transformation.
Reflection: One implication of this passage is that our struggle with a sin does not define us as a Christian. That is not to say that Christians do not struggle with substance abuse, same sex attraction, strong lust, or urges to deceive. It is to say that Christians struggle with these things, it is not “who” Christians are. It is wrong for a Christian to say “I am gay” or “I will always be an addict” or “This [sin] is just who I am.” These struggles may be aspects of the flesh that an individual battles to put to death their whole life – we are never fully sanctified in this life.
Reflection: What sin are you tempted to define yourself by? You can usually identify this by asking when you do speak of sin in terms of “I am…” or “I have…” This passage is both comfort and challenge for you. By the grace of God you can overcome and need not “be your sin.” At the same time, this passage challenges you to fight this sin tenaciously – to surrender to our sin is an indication that we have not inherited the kingdom of God (see also I John 3:9-10).
I Will Not Be Enslaved
(BCH_1Cor_6_handout for Printable PDF Handout)
God’s children are not meant to be slaves. In I Corinthians 6:12 Paul is discussing “lawful” things. Specifically he discusses food, but we could add alcohol, recreation, work, Facebook, video games, “guy/girl” time, acceptance and many other “lawful” things.
The question is, “How do I know if I have become ‘enslaved’ to some good thing in my life?” Before looking at some criteria to help you make this assessment, make a list of the things that you are potentially enslaved to. If you cannot make a list of 3-5 things, you need to be more honest with yourself.
- When you get home what is the first thing you want to do?
- If you are running late, what will you do anyway?
- Even if money is low/absent, what will you still do?
- Where do you turn for comfort more naturally than God?
- What do you use to escape when life is hard?
- What do family members complain is more important than them?
- If you cannot do this you get very edgy or irritable?
- What do you lie about doing to minimize time/money spent?
- What do you get defensive about in conversation?
- What do you daydream about?
- Have you told yourself you should probably cut back?
- Do you feel guilty about it and use it to forget the guilt?
- Has it ever interfered with your work performance?
Remember Paul does not say these things are morally bad. He says it is wrong to be enslaved to them. His main point is “you were bought with a price, so glorify God (6:20).” When we seek refuge, hope, or pleasure in these things to the degree they have become “non-negotiable” they have become our functional god.
Introduction to the “Living Our Faith” series.
TOOL: “Using Prayer Time to Cultivate Ministry”
BLOG POST: “Teachers Equipping Ministers Through Prayer Time“
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 1:03 pm. 3 comments
What Do You Seek? (1:22)
It is what we are “seeking” that keeps us from “seeing” Jesus for who He is. The Jews wanted a powerful Messiah king who would come and throw off their oppression. The Greeks desired a wise sage-philosopher who would wow them with answers to their questions. Jesus did amazing things and stumped the intellectual elite of His day, but it was not enough.
Why? Because humans in the first century were like humans in the twenty first century. Jesus’ power did not eliminate the problem the Jews were focused on and Jesus’ wisdom did not answer the questions the way the Greeks liked. So the Jews dismissed a man who calmed storms as weak and the Greeks rejected Wisdom Himself as a fool.
Reflection: What do you want Jesus to be? What problem do you tend to “grade” God on based upon the progress or outcome? Until we acknowledge these desires and submit them to God, they will distort our view of God. Consider the following modern updates to this verse. The Romantics seek their needs being met. The Thrill-Seekers demand entertaining worship. The Social Group demands tight knit fellowship. The Successful seek prosperity. The Morally Lax demand grace. Like the Jews and Greeks God is all they want (and more), but we miss the destination because of our love for examining the signs.
Marks of Humility
(BCH_1Cor_1_handout for Printable PDF Handout)
The theme of the first chapter of Corinthians is a call to unity in the church through the humility of its members and simplicity of its teaching (1:17). This is hard for us. We think being right is always best, so we quarrel (1:11) and identify with certain teachers (1:12).
Consider the following marks of humility as you seek to promote unity through humility.
- A full recognition of your constant need for Christ (I Tim 1:15).
- Able to forgive because you know how you were forgiven (Luke 7:47).
- Consider others more significant than yourself (Phil 2:3).
- Recognize your need for fellow believers (Heb 3:12-13).
- Display your authority in meekness (II Cor 10:1).
- Motivated by opportunities to serve (Gal 5:13).
- Able to teach the obstinate patiently (II Tim 2:24).
- Willing to get close in personal relationships (II Cor 2:4).
- Accept your fault without blame-shifting to other’s faults (Matt 7:3-5).
- Use your failures to instruct others (Psalm 51:12-13).
- Take the initiative to restore broken relationships (Matt 5:23-24).
As you reflect on these traits of humility and brainstorm others, reflect on Proverbs 3:34 which is quoted twice in the New Testament, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Boasting in the Lord (1:31)
Pause and make a list of the things you have vocalized your appreciation for in the last week (foods, household products, sports team, people, or movements). Think of the different ways that you identify yourself as a “fan” of these things. How much do you know about these things and how did you learn it? How do you defend them when a friend enjoys a “rival” thing?
Chances are as you made your list the items on the list did not have much to do with you. My list consisted of fettuccini alfredo, wheat grass juice, the thing that cleans my shower at a push of the button, Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, several close ministry friends, and Biblical Counseling. From this you learn I’m hungry, I’m lazy, where I am from, who I like, and what I do. For the most part this list reveals my needs, weaknesses, and identity more than my pride.
Reflection: When we understand our faith we will “boast in the Lord” in the same way. We needed a Savior (Jesus Christ). We have weaknesses to be refined (sanctification). Our identity is rooted in God (adopted children of God) and His people (the church). When we see ourselves in this way we will interact with our culture as Paul was instructing the Corinthian Christians to do. As they interacted with the Jews and Greeks and heard them speak of power and wisdom as the “rival” answers to life, the Christians were to talk about the simple hope they had in Christ. The offensiveness of this boasting is not “obnoxious fanhood” (sorry Wildcat Nation, but we’re guilty sometimes) but radical implication of simple, humble hope.
Introduction to the “Living Our Faith” series.
TOOL: “Using Prayer Time to Cultivate Ministry”
BLOG POST: “Teachers Equipping Ministers Through Prayer Time“
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago at 12:30 pm. 2 comments
Culturally, we are told that if we could love ourselves more that would solve most of our life struggles. Jesus said that the starting point of discipleship was to deny ourselves (Luke 9:23). Culturally we are told that we must love ourselves before we can love anyone else. Paul said that we must count others as more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3).
This can lead to much confusion as Christian try to harmonize these two sets of instructions. The article below seeks to provide guidance on the subject.
Start with this reflection. What kind of word is self-esteem: noun, verb, or adjective? Is self-esteem more like that word power (noun), strong (adjective), or weight-lifting (verb)? Is self-esteem something you want (noun), an description you want to be true of you (adjective), or a way to pursue something (verb)?
The article below introduces the idea that self-esteem is a verb. It is a theory concerning human behavior that instructs people (rightly or wrongly) on how to pursue things like confidence, identity, security, purpose, and wisdom (nouns). The question is, “Does self-esteem provide a path that will help us arrive at those destinations?”
If you are intrigued and want to consider the matter further, you can read the entire article.
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago at 2:43 pm. Add a comment
