Fear of Facing Our Own Shortcomings

I keep a journal where I have become comfortable with being brutally honest with myself. I am also in the habit of going back and reading old entries in this journal which means my younger self gets the chance to be brutally honest with me right now. This happened recently when I came across one of my journal entries in which I wrote about my own pride and my own insecurities. What stood out as I read my own writings was how easy it was to turn the focus on the actions of others. I even wrote a blog post in which I talked about how Christians should deal with someone else’s pride. And while I believe what I wrote on that post to be true, it left out something very important. Sometimes we’re the one with the pride problem or with some other character flaw. And while it is true that our brothers and sisters in Christ should prayerfully and patiently guide us, at some point, when confronted with our own shortcomings, we have to choose to surrender ourselves to the Lord and to allow Him to work in us to get rid of the problem.

My original post was called “Pride or Termites: How Christians Respond to the Problem” in which I described how pride often is a mask covering the real problem of insecurity. I described how we can deal with this real problem in the lives of others instead of knocking them down for the pride that is only a symptom of something bigger. But even if we are prayerfully in full alignment with God, the simple fact is that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. Likewise, a brother/sister in Christ can help you see you have a problem but they can’t make YOU do anything about it.

Back when I wrote the termite post I was ready to admit my own pride but I was not ready to do anything about it. It was much easier to turn the focus towards someone else in the form of, “this is what THEY should do,” with the “THEY” being the rest of the church. I should have been asking myself and writing about what I should do. I write this now because I believe this should be a routine aspect of the Chrisitian walk and I am being brutally honest with myself again. Instead of looking at others, Chistians (with an emphasis on me this time) should be talking about what we should do. What should I do when God reveals an area of pride in my own heart? It all starts with yielding to God and being the person He has created me to be.

And Be There…With God

Exodus 24:12

What an invitation. “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there…” This is how Exodus 24:12 is written in the NKJV. The other English versions also have the, “Come up to Me part,” giving variations on the, “be there,” by saying things like “wait there,” or “stay there.” The point is that God wanted Moses with Him on the mountain and that sounds like one of the most awesome invitations ever given.

In Exodus 24 the people give affirmation, agreeing that, “All the words which the LORD has said we will do.” (Exodus 24:3) They repeat this vow after hearing the reading of the Book of the Covenant (verse 7) and Moses sprinkles the blood of the sacrifices on them in order to seal the covenant between them and the LORD. Shortly thereafter Moses, Aaron, Nabad and Abihu, along with seventy elders climb part of the way up Mount Sinai where they enjoy a big meal in the presence of God (verses 9-11).

It’s after this feast that God extends a special invitation to Moses as recorded in verse 12. What an honor it must have been to receive an invitation from God to come up and be there with Him: to receive the Ten Commandments and to learn how to teach them. This is something God did not have to do as He had already spoken to the people and given them the Ten Commandments (chapter 19). He could have very easily just left the stone tablets someplace at the bottom of the mountain with instructions on how to find them. It sounds as if God wanted Moses up on the mountain with Him and in the same way God wants each of us to be with Him today.

Jesus’ death and resurrection are invitations to us all, a sign that God wants us to be with Him. This is why the veil of the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51) and why we are to enter the Holiest by a new and living way (Hebrews 10:19-22). God, through Jesus Christ, is inviting us to come and be with Him. Will you, by faith, accept His invitation? 

Why Worry? God Will Provide!

I once had a front row seat for a demonstration of what worry will do to a person over time as a close family member spent decades worrying about having enough money. They never directly said so but it was clear in the way they lived and in the things that they said that they were driven out of a fear of running out. Making matters worse, their fear was mixed with pride as they continued with their own self effort even in the face of evidence that what they were doing was not getting them what they wanted. In the end they died alone and unhappy, being overcome by the results of an addiction that masked the stress of feeling like the bottom might fall out at any moment.

I watched as this person, who claimed to be a good Christian, struggled against the ebb and flow that is a normal part of life. With their Bible nearby, theirs was a life of fear instead of an example of great faith. Even as they bragged about how they knew the Good Book better than I did, they somehow never came to trust in a very important promise:

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

I wish this was the only person that I knew who claimed to know the Bible well but who never fully accepted Philippians 4:19. In fact, I’ve known dozens of Christians whose lives were more of a demonstration of fear and/or pride as opposed to an example of faith. And yes, as I point my finger at others there are fingers pointing back at me. I was once one who professed faith in Christ but, driven by fear, relied on my own ability to try to earn a living. Just like the others I found that with all my hard work either I never had enough to make ends meet or, when I did, I was too stressed to enjoy what I had.

It took a very odd dream where I was faced with a costly repair for God to get my attention. As I woke from the dream I could somehow tell that God was asking me how I should handle the situation. I knew the answer He expected and responded accordingly, telling God that I would pray. He responded by asking, “Why don’t you?” Since then I have done just that when a need arises and each time God answers with what I need. I’m not yet perfect at doing this and I still sometimes forget to ask. But eventually, when I repent of my own efforts and ask God to provide, I find that His timing is always perfect. He always comes through.

As Christians we all know that God will provide for our needs yet do we…do you…live like He will provide? If you are not a Christian you are missing out on the peace that comes with knowing that you are loved and that God will take care of you because He loves you. So let me ask you something. Do you choose to trust God to provide? It’s not always easy to do but it is a great place to be.