Problem With The 'I'
Here I am, sitting in front of my eNotebook, down with another episode of 'eye needle' - direct dialect translation of 'bak-cham' (tongue-twister: direct dialect OR dialect direct...haha). I used to get this swollen eyelid condition a lot. The frequent outbreak of the past few times seems to be the way it's acting up nowadays. It's been more difficult to go away, unlike before.
As I'm writing this, I'm reminded of this sermon about some'body' also having the 'I' problem, as my church pastor put it, from the verses...
Isaiah 14:13-14:
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
aIyah!!! Hello, it's really not up to anybody, any being. We are but God's humble creation.
Pride is a scary thing and a guarantee for destruction - confirmed, chop stamp. It displays itself in many forms. And what's scary about pride is that sometimes it comes up so subtly that we manifest it without even realising (ya, ya, it's the deceitful heart quote again). Ever witness a display of "I'm proud to be humble" behaviour? Taking pride in one's humility seems oxymoronic, doesn't it? What has been deemed as socially acceptable behaviour does not help to identify it either. Ooh...it's not good that we can't even identify what's bad.
I think it's probably clearer to think along the line that humility is not thinking less of ourselves. Yes, we are nothing without God. But with the Holy Spirit living within us, how can we be nothing? Insecurity is not humility. If our security is in the Most High God, we can do all things because we depend on Christ for strength, not our own. But don't 'geh-kiang' (act clever) go and do things that we are not supposed to do lah.
Romans 12:3 says, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." The most accurate measure of ourselves would be of God. Only the Creator would know best the make up of His creation.
So true humility is more like thinking of ourselves less. You know, that "the world does not revolve around me" attitude. We are taught to honour others more than ourselves, love one another with love that's without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9-10 - see verse quoted below).
It's by no means an easy task. Some people are easy to love. Sometimes we show kindness and affection only to the degree that we would not be short changed. Reminds me of what Jesus said about loving only those who love us.
Matt 5:46-48: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
With such a mentality of loving only the lovables, we can forget about loving our enemies.
An interesting note that we are all called to practice hospitality - loving of strangers. Hospitality is a gift of God. So we can ask if we lack in this area. It's a matter of the heart's desire and a choice we make.
Of course there are people who find it easier to show hospitality to strangers than the 'not-so strange'. I'm not pointing any finger. I'm guilty of that sometimes, too. Perhaps because sometimes there's more satisfaction and appreciation when acts of kindness are unexpected. Hmmm... food for thought - maybe just a snack.
Romans 12:9-21 (Amplified version)
9 [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.
10 Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
11 Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
12 Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief].
16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone.
18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord.
20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.
21 Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.
As I'm writing this, I'm reminded of this sermon about some'body' also having the 'I' problem, as my church pastor put it, from the verses...
Isaiah 14:13-14:
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
aIyah!!! Hello, it's really not up to anybody, any being. We are but God's humble creation.
Pride is a scary thing and a guarantee for destruction - confirmed, chop stamp. It displays itself in many forms. And what's scary about pride is that sometimes it comes up so subtly that we manifest it without even realising (ya, ya, it's the deceitful heart quote again). Ever witness a display of "I'm proud to be humble" behaviour? Taking pride in one's humility seems oxymoronic, doesn't it? What has been deemed as socially acceptable behaviour does not help to identify it either. Ooh...it's not good that we can't even identify what's bad.
I think it's probably clearer to think along the line that humility is not thinking less of ourselves. Yes, we are nothing without God. But with the Holy Spirit living within us, how can we be nothing? Insecurity is not humility. If our security is in the Most High God, we can do all things because we depend on Christ for strength, not our own. But don't 'geh-kiang' (act clever) go and do things that we are not supposed to do lah.
Romans 12:3 says, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." The most accurate measure of ourselves would be of God. Only the Creator would know best the make up of His creation.
So true humility is more like thinking of ourselves less. You know, that "the world does not revolve around me" attitude. We are taught to honour others more than ourselves, love one another with love that's without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9-10 - see verse quoted below).
It's by no means an easy task. Some people are easy to love. Sometimes we show kindness and affection only to the degree that we would not be short changed. Reminds me of what Jesus said about loving only those who love us.
Matt 5:46-48: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Even the tax collectors do that. If you greet only your own people, what more are you doing than others? Even people who are ungodly do that. So be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
With such a mentality of loving only the lovables, we can forget about loving our enemies.
An interesting note that we are all called to practice hospitality - loving of strangers. Hospitality is a gift of God. So we can ask if we lack in this area. It's a matter of the heart's desire and a choice we make.
Of course there are people who find it easier to show hospitality to strangers than the 'not-so strange'. I'm not pointing any finger. I'm guilty of that sometimes, too. Perhaps because sometimes there's more satisfaction and appreciation when acts of kindness are unexpected. Hmmm... food for thought - maybe just a snack.
Romans 12:9-21 (Amplified version)
9 [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.
10 Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
11 Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
12 Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief].
16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone.
18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord.
20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.
21 Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.
