Unself Esteem

Self-esteem we know about. Diagnosis and cure surround us. The diagnosis: we think badly about ourselves because we weren't affirmed as a child. In fact, we were put down: "You'll never amount to anything." "B's & C's aren't A's!" "Why can't you be like Bob or Sally?"

Feelings of inferiority and issues of self-esteem are common to all of us. We all feel inadequate from time to time, no matter how well we try and disguise it.

And to prove our significance to those who "put us down" or made our lives hell trying to live up to false expectations, we develop defenses: "I'll show you!" We spend our lives being either the best or the worst to counter those who hurt us.

An interesting statistic might be how many millionaires, professional athletes, PhD's, ministers, missionaries, elders, deacons, CEO's, authors, politicians, professionals and criminals achieve success to prove their worth -- "I"ll show you." We are what we are; we do what we do to prove that we're better or worse than anyone thought we could ever be.

Our defense against feelings of inferiority usually lead us to lives of "proving something"--lives lived in bondage to Self.

God offers another way: unself-esteem. It's not hyper spirituality. It's not self-pity. It's not worm theology. It 's not false modesty. Rather, it involves an honest acceptance of our real identity in Christ.

Paul expressed his unself-esteem with his autobiographical statement: "I am the least important of all God's people" (Ephesians 3:8). Then he taught us how this happens through our new identity in Christ: "Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person" (Ephesians 4:23,24).

Self-esteem often turns inward. Unself-esteem turns outward. Self-esteem quickly becomes self-exalting. Unself-esteem releases us into a free life of Christ-exalting.

Warriors of Freedom

Days like today we find ways to show our gratitude to men and women who cared enough to offer the "supreme sacrifice" to protect and defend those they loved in a less than perfect world.

Wars and rumored wars -- nation fighting nation, government fighting government, whole sections of the world at war -- is sad, but routine history. War writes its own commentary on who we are, what we value, what we're willing to defend, sacrifice, and die for.

War is the great divide in the human family.

To what degree war is just and to what degree war is politics (a mixture of both?), I'll leave to the philosophers. War can be necessary -- even a necessary evil, but necessary nonetheless. War can be political -- a fight motivated by egotism dressed up as justice. But whatever the motive, noble or ignoble, war comes at a high price and a heavy cost: human life.

War, like a strong thunderstorm, clears the atmosphere, but only temporarily. Because war often changes circumstances but never changes human nature. The circumstantial results of war may last for centuries, yet human hearts filled with hate, prejudice, greed, bitterness, revenge, lust for power, sense of superiority that inflamed war remain untouched.

War humbles us. We're faced with the fact that, at best, we're deeply flawed humans living in a deeply flawed world.

"Father, bless those now serving in Harm's Way. God of compassion and mercy, you know us, everything about us. You know our sins and transgressions. But you desire that we know you. May we use our freedom that was won at great sacrifice to know you and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Amen."

Clouded Truth

The prophet Isaiah received a hard word from God: "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9-10). A tough word, an even tougher assignment.

Can it be true that God clouds the truth from certain people? Does God want to keep certain outsiders outside?

Unless you think this is merely an example of Old Testament cruelty, Jesus quoted the same words in the gospels of Matthew and Mark when he told the parable of the seed and the ground.

Isaiah was surrounded by false prophets preaching a false message. They were soft on sin and long on affirmation. They told people what they wanted to hear: "Everyone makes a mistake or two; don't worry about it; you're too good to worry about a misstep here or there." Isaiah cut across their 'feel good' message with sin-revealing truth and a call to serious repentance. Who wants to hear that kind of message?

So God clouded the truth from those who didn't want the truth. He affirmed the deliberately disobedient in their disobedience and the rebellious in their rebellion. Papa-God hid revelation from the people who despised revelation. He allowed anyone who chose to be outside of grace to stay outside of grace. He allowed outsiders to remain outside.

Jesus quoted this passage because he knew that most of the people who heard his call to repentance didn't believe they needed to repent. And Jesus also knew that most of them didn't believe Jesus to be who he says he is -- God's Son. They were indifferent both to the message of truth and the messenger who is Truth.

Therefore, God clouded the truth and kept them outside of grace.

Is that fair?

It's want they wanted. It was the destiny of their own making. And it's a warning to us all.

Life's Pooping Machines

Life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to. Along our journey, we step into some poop every now and then.

Golf is my hobby. In recent years, most golf courses have been plagued with Canada "pooping machines" better known as Canada geese. These winged invaders from the north have the audacity to hang around tee boxes and greens where they leave their unsightly calling cards -- geese poop, the size of a small dog's poop.

In addition to this insult, these uninvited aliens are, of course, federally protected.

Most of U.S. presidents have played golf. The present occupant of the oval office is no exception. In fact, he may have set a presidential record for playing more golf in his short time in office than any of his predecessors. I have no clue how he deals with the poop-problem, but it wouldn't surprise me if the secret service or some other tax-paid official picks up the geese poop before the chief executive walks to the first tee.

Golf isn't so pristine for the average Joe or Charles. We step in it, over it, or around it. Goose poop is annoying. It has however made me thankful that North Carolina (where I play most) has reintroduced coyotes to our habitat. I saw a healthy coyote run across a fairway about 30 yards ahead of me a few weeks ago heading for a flock of geese. It was a beautiful sight. One only hopes these swift scavengers develop a healthy appetite for goose!

All you animal rights folks, hold on to your leashes. The coyote solution is nature at its best work! Let creation balance itself out.

Have a great day. Play some golf or take a walk outside, pray for the coyotes and watch where your step.

Anxiety and Despair

Cast all your care upon God.

Easier said than done.

God invites us to cast all care away; if we don't cast it away, we retain it and remain anxious and despondent. And if we don't cast our concerns, troubles, and worries fully upon Papa-God, but in some other direction, we are not rid of them.

When we try to handle what we're not made to handle, our care doubles back on us with greater intensity. Now, we're really in the dumps.

To cast our care in any direction other than upon God is denial. And denial is a defective remedy.

Let God do what He does best -- take our overbearing load, handle what we cannot handle, shoulder our worries, troubles, and concerns. Is anything too difficult for Him?

Please don't take another step under your heartbreaking load. Throw all of it upon your God and receive His peace.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you -- I Peter 5:7.

Get In The Story!

God's Word comes to us as story -- not myth or fiction -- but real-life story. Too often we read God's Story in fragments, a verse here, a verse there, a paragraph here, a chapter there. The smaller the fragment the easier it is to lose the Story.

God's Word is a huge story told by the Spirit through human authors using preaching, prophecy, poetry, parable, narrative, genealogy, wisdom, prayer. And this huge story has one purpose: God reveals himself to us in Jesus Christ.

So when you read God's Story make sure you allow the Spirit to pull you into it. Don't just read to get information or to find a "word" to meet your need for the moment. Allow the Spirit to tell you God's story. Be sure that you not only get the story, but that you get in the story.

It's a story of Papa-God's great love, mercy, and grace. Outside of grace, we are living corpses -- "dead in our trespasses and sins." Without hope. Unable to change ourselves. Insensitive and unresponsive to God. The walking-dead. Sure, we're full of good intentions, but we're also sin-driven.

We cannot over exaggerate what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. God ...

• Blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Jesus
• Made us holy, blameless, and covered us with His love
• Adopted us into His family
• Removed all our sins
• Brought us under Christ's headship
• Chose and predestined us according to His perfect will
• Sealed us by the Holy Spirit
• Raised up with Christ in glory
• Saved by grace through faith
• Fashioned us into His personal work of art.

Thank you, Papa-God, for your great story of lavish grace!