How low can you go Chubby?

I have decided that being a follower of Jesus Christ is very similar to the game limbo stick. In limbo stick a pole is held parallel to the ground by two people. The players form a line and, in turn, they attempt to pass under the bar. After everyone in the line has had a turn, the bar is lowered an inch or two and the process repeats. When passing under the bar, players must bend backwards. No part of their bodies may touch the bar and no part other than their feet may touch the ground. The winner is the one who can pass under the bar the lowest. In the song Limbo Rock by Chubby Checker promoting the game, one of the phrases mentioned is “how low can you go.”

That to me is the catch cry of my walk with Jesus- how low can I go? How far am I prepared to die to self and pride and humble myself?

In Philippians 2:5  it is written

“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, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

In this passage we see how far Jesus was prepared to go. He made himself nothing, became a servant and eventually died. I believe he was able to do so because he knew who he was and was secure in his identity as the beloved son of God. When people spat at him, mocked him, whipped him, accused him, Jesus did not back off. He humbled himself because he knew God approved of him and was on his side. Then gloriously God's resurrection power brought Jesus back to life. 

Every day we have many opportunities to fight back, pamper ourselves, get even, refuse to be treated that way, insist on our rights, stand up for ourselves, get recognition, take the best seat or the biggest piece of cake. But I believe all God may require of us is to humble ourselves and see how low we can go. The crazy thing is God seems to use humiliation to make us humble if we choose that option. 

This walk I am on is not about me but about God. I humble myself and die to what I want, and he brings life. Its a great deal really even though it involves me giving up everything I have and am and ever hope to be.

How low can I go? I'm not sure at the moment but ask me in another 30 years just before my feet slip off the mortal high-wire. 

It's not all about you

I have this natural inclination to think that the way people treat me or speak to me is a reflection of my worth. I know. I know. It’s not all about me but somehow it seems to be. An abrupt word, a silence, a funny look, someone not listening or interrupting has the potential to send me on a downward spiral of melancholy and hopelessness. Useless, useless echoes around me as I slide down the slippery slope on my tushy. It’s so undignified. You can imagine how topsy turvy my inner world is at times. It really is exhausting being me.

Of course in all fairness to God Almighty the Creator of the universe, the One-Who-Knows-Everything, my inside world is not nearly as chaotic as it used to be. Slowly but surely He is pulling down those old lying habits of thinking that tell me, I’m useless, worthless, of no earthly use. He is renewing my mind with the truth that I am fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, I am loved with an everlasting love and Jesus dying on the cross is evidence of his love for me.

The fact of the matter is that if people treated me according to my inestimable worth which is non-negotiable, because you cannot argue with the One-Who-Knows-Everything, they would be running out red carpet everywhere I needed to walk, bowing when they approached me, fanning me with ostrich feather fans when it was too hot and feeding me with delicacies. My life would be one long royal visit which possibly would grow a little tedious for those I live with.

Yes the truth is I have great value and if people do not speak to me or treat me like that it could be, in the madness of the minute, they have forgotten that not only I, but them also, have inestimable worth. Perhaps like me they are pieces of brokenness being lovingly put back together and restored by their Creator.  Other people’s behaviour is definitely no reflection of my worth.

However, the question does need to be asked… what would happen if I treated everyone I met like they are royalty, made in the image of the creator of the universe? 

As a girl thinks so she is...

For the past couple of months I have been examining my thinking and despairing because the thoughts I have seem to be far removed from the kind of thoughts God wants me to have. The Bible encourages us to think like Jesus who lived a sinless perfect life. That tells me Jesus, unlike me, must have had his thoughts sorted. Our thoughts are very important. What we think determines how we feel, behave and what we say. For example if we have judgemental thoughts about others, our words and deeds will reflect this.

The Bible tells us that as God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts so are his ways also higher. At that point we could give up and decide we are never going to think like God. However, I believe God wants to renew my mind and transform my thinking so I have his thoughts. Then I will start to love people like he does. One way God requires me to love people is to show mercy but it is very hard to be merciful when one has judgemental thoughts. I need my mind renewed so I view people with mercy instead of judgement.

I have been reading a few books in my quest for wisdom as to how to change my thinking. I found one written by Firestone, Firestone and Catlett called Conquer Your Inner Critical Voice which has been very helpful. They identify that each of us have a inner critical voice in our head that controls much of our decision making and the way we respond to situations.  Many of us are unaware of it chattering away, as it is a well established part, of who we are. The voice is destructive, critical, accusing and false and often overrules the good we feelings we have about ourselves. 

If you doubt whether you have a voice like this try and discover what you are thinking the next time when something unexpected, embarrassing or disappointing happens. The chances are your inner critical voice will surface at this point to give you its demoralising perspective.

The critical voice is a system of thinking patterns we developed in childhood while we were learning how to cope with life.  It is made up of the conclusions we drew about ourselves from the way our parents treated us, the negative feelings our parents had towards themselves and each other, our parents view of life including the things they did not talk about which we absorbed by osmosis and the defence mechanisms we developed to help us deal with painful and stressful situations.

These thinking patterns became the way we learnt to respond to the different life situations we faced. It is our enemy because it will try and sabotage our true selves; the person God has called us to be. For example God may have gifted me with the ability and desire to be a brain surgeon. If I fear failing because of past experiences which led me to conclude I am a failure, there is playing in my head a little voice telling me not to be absurd.  I am not brainy enough to  pass the exams necessary. Therefore I never have a go at becoming a brain surgeon.

Often at work and in our relationships we revert back to the thinking patterns we developed as children to protect us but these old defence mechanisms can limit our ability to do well at work, handle success and relate well to others. It is vital we learn to recognise the inner critical voice and develop a new positive and creative voice if we are to achieve all God has called us to be and do.

There is no doubt that God has done a radical work of renewing my mind and transforming  my thinking in many areas BUT he wants to do more. I recognise that even though my inner critical voice is not nearly as influential as it used to be, it still has far too much say in the way I react. There is a lovely Bible verse in 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 that recommends we demolish the thinking patterns that set themselves up against us knowing God. That is a scary thought that my thinking patterns can limit my experience of God but I believe that is what the inner critical voice does. It is a series of thinking patterns that need demolishing and replaced with God’s thoughts which are truth and loving.

Now it is just a matter of identifying the times the inner critical voice is still at work and breaking the habit of thinking by reassessing the situation in the light of God’s truth and focusing on that.

Sounds simple really….

Jesus' Definition of Happiness

I have been thinking again  this morning about the beatitudes. You know the ones? Found in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5: 3 (NIV)  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11  "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Such fun all of them. All require God's grace and revelation to achieve, with knowing you are poor in spirit, being the key to them all. Don't think that you can be meek in the style of Jesus in your own strength.  Firstly you need to know that you are poor in spirit, that is do not have the resources to be meek and are  bankrupt of meekness. Then you need to ask for the grace to be meek. However, only do this if you are willing to persevere through trials to attain meekness. I suspect meekness and the other attributes are best formed in the furnace of affliction. 

I think these beatitudes represent the kind of mindset a good Jesus girl should have which means I need to have thoughts that reflect being poor in spirit, that mourn over sin, that are meek, merciful, peacemaking and pure. So when I persecuted for righteousness, insulted and lied about I will respond in the Jesus way. 

Myself at this present point in time, am more likely to respond with a woe is me, this isn't fair, what about me, kind of reaction. These are of course not in agreement with the beatitudes. If I am truthful I'm not even sure I want to be a living paragon of beatitude excellence. It sounds far too much like death to self to me.

However, somehow I need to get to the point where my mindset does reflect the beatitudes. I need to reach the head and heart space where I love being  poor in Spirit, love to  mourn, love being meek,  hunger and thirst for righteousness, love being merciful,  love being pure in heart, love being a peacemaker,  love being  persecuted because of righteousness, love being insulted and lied about. Why? Because when these things happen Jesus tells me I am blessed. Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Happiness believe it or not is being poor in spirit, mourning over sin and the rest.  It is not having a handsome husband, well-behaved children, a nice car, overseas trip, holiday home in the sun nor a beautiful house.