Embarrassment.
We either have it or else we possess its dread.
Chuck Swindoll says that we men are so self-conscious that we constantly check the fly of our pants. I've heard of two occasions where one lady walked up to another and whispered, Excuse me, but you have toilet paper hanging over your belt in the back.
Say it ain't so!
May I take the reverse approach here? It would be good for all if each of us could realize there are things about us personally that are embarrassing? Mankind needs a constant supply of humility tablets.
The older we get it seems there remains a terrible glare from all as we regard ourselves a bit higher and mightier than a few others. This is a grand violation of the heart that God wishes we possessed. Arrogance plagues all of us; and it seems to be very equal among us. Selfishness is prominent in all; not just a select few. To look down at our noses to any other is a sinful posture.
I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). A measure of faith; not the whole load. No one possesses the complete package. Enter the need for the church body to work in harmony.
Everyone has a speck of faith; maybe two or even three specks. And the same individuals possess unzipped pants and toilet paper hanging out. It shows. In every one of us, it shows. You can run but you cannot hide. In everyone of us our great lack in major areas shows.
This is why we need one another. To pool our gifts from God, the few which each possesses, makes for a wonderful, graceful, and powerful body of believers. Superstars and shy servants; all are only gifted in a few areas and are visibly deficient in many more areas.
Sound judgment isn't about information stored in a mind nor is it vast experiences one encountered. Sound judgment only comes from humility. One can be gifted in outreach, wisdom, compassion and/or management. Not one of we gifted possesses sound judgment if believing we have the upper hand on another. Not ever.
Especially in church leadership, must we temper our roles with the necessity of regarding others as more important than ourselves. Arrogance warps our service. We then cause the light from God to begin to glare. Glare causes onlookers to look away rather than toward.
Regardless of what we have to offer, who we know, or what God has let us do, it would serve us to remember that every day of our lives finds us with either our pants unzipped or toilet paper hanging out the back of our slacks.
No comments:
Post a Comment