On Prayer

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"

Corrie Ten Boom

Merry Christmas!

"The people who walked in darkness

   have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
   on them has light shined...
  For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
   and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 9:2, 6

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!'

 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them."

Luke 2:8-20

 "But when the fullness of time had come,

God sent forth his Son..."

Galatians 4:4

The Best of It Is...

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday.  As the song says, the season is in many ways "the most wonderful time of the year" (Pola and Wyle, 1963).  With the special food and festivities, the wonderful music, giving, and seeing friends and extended family, Christmas is a time when wonderful memories are made.

  Sometimes I wonder, though; in the middle of all the ornaments, Christmas lights, and "'Tis the Season to be Jolly," have we forgotten the magnitude of this day?  Yes, it is great for "parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow." It's a wonderful time of year to give presents, sing carols, and visit family.  But this is not what makes Christmas what it is.

   Throughout his life, John Wesley encountered many dangerous situations (see source).  Through it all, however, God kept him safe.  As Wesley neared the end of his life, his friends gathered around him.  Huddled close to hear him speak, they witnessed his last words: "The best of it is, God is with us!"  Wesley understood that nothing we face - whether it is poverty, ill health, life's oft-changing circumstances, or even death itself - is out of God's control.  As John Wesley left this world, he had no need to fear; his God was with Him, as He had been with him on earth.

   As we celebrate Christmas, enjoying our family, the holiday food, and giving and receiving presents, let us remember that Christmas is more than songs, gifts, and gingerbread men.  Christmas is about Christ - God's gift to us.  This season is when we remember when God became man and lived among us, sharing our sorrows, filling our needs.  He gave us the right to become children of God; He will always walk beside us in whatever we face in life - or death.  In the midst of all our celebrations of this truly joyful time of year, let us remember that "The best of it is, God is with us!"

'""Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel"
(which means, God with us).'"
- Matthew 1:23

Big Dreams, Big Plans

From time to time, I suspect we all have our daydreams of what the future may hold - dreams of what we will be doing years from now.  Like many teenage girls, the young Israelite Mary probably had her own big dreams.  Soon she would be getting married to an upright, godly Jew, just as she had expected since she was a little girl.  What Mary didn't know was that God had plans bigger than her big dreams.

When their big plans were overshadowed by God's great purposes, Mary and Joseph showed humility.  The well-known pastor and author, C.J. Mahaney, defines humility as "honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness" (Humility, p. 22).  Instead of fighting God's plans, Mary and Joseph freely allowed God's purpose to supersede their hopes and dreams.  Mary faced scorn and possible divorce, while Joseph also faced the wounds of local gossip.  Moses, Israel's great leader, asked God if He really knew what He was doing.  Gideon (and even Mary's relative, Zachariah) asked for proof that what he was told would truly come to pass.  But Mary and Joseph never seem to second-guess God's will for them.  Their big plans had changed drastically, but never do we see them even think of resisting in any way.  As Mary answered the angel, '"I am the Lord’s servant...May it be to me according to your word'" (Luke 1:38).  Mary and Joseph viewed themselves as God's servants, and willingly obeyed His will instead of proudly asserting their own will.  They truly thought of themselves "in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness," as Mahaney defines humility.

Ultimately, Jesus Christ demonstrated humility.  The Son of God was born into the world He created, with a manger as a cradle and a stable as a nursery.  The Creator of all lived, ate, and spent time with those He created.  While Jesus walked the earth and taught the crowds, the spiritual know-it-alls of the day haughtily complained, '"This man receives sinners and eats with them'" (Luke 15:2).  Never did He claim a higher status or a greater honor, though all of creation was at His call.

Christ's whole life - and even His death - was characterized by humility.  Legions of angels were at His bidding, yet He served those around Him, "'For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'" (Mark 10:45).  Jesus could rightly claim all possible honors; instead, He gave them up (for a time) to show His love for us.  Even though all created things were at His bidding, He humbly gave up His rights for us.

The Christmas account is one we have (hopefully) heard many times.  It is a story of hope, joy, love, generosity, mercy, redemption...  It's also a story of humility.  God came to earth.  Christ made Himself a servant, sacrificing His rights for us.  Mary and Joseph honored God's will and humbly submitted to His plan.  This Christmas may we do the same.

Part of Something Big

Hallie squirmed in her seat.  "It's so hard to wait," she whispered to her friend Larissa, who grinned back in understanding.  Finally, Mrs. Lewis started the announcements.

"For the church Christmas play we need thirteen actors," Mrs. Lewis began.  

"Oooh," Hallie almost giggled in anticipation.

"The part of the lead character, Hannah Scott, goes to Hallie Stevenson, while the part of Jimmy Peters goes to..."

That was all Hallie heard.  "I got the part!" she whispered excitedly to Larissa.  

"Congratulations!" Larissa shared her excitement.

Hallie slowed down.  "I wish you could be in the play, too," she told Larissa.  

"Me? Acting?  No, thank you!  No stages for me," Larissa insisted.

~~~~

"And, Mom, my part has almost twice as many lines as the next biggest part," Hallie bragged to her mother later that evening.  "Mrs. Lewis said that I would be perfect for the part since I can memorize so easily."

"Now, Hallie," Mrs. Stevenson reminded her daughter, "it's important to be humble when you are given an opportunity like this."

"But I don't understand, Mom - Mrs. Lewis did say that I did a great job on my audition," Hallie protested.

"Oh, humility doesn't mean downplaying the job you did.  To be humble means to put your performance - and everything else - in its proper place.  This Christmas play is to tell the Gospel to some who may have never heard it before.  If you're lost in thoughts of you and what people think of you, how are you spreading His joy?"  Hallie thought about what her mother was saying.  "And, besides, honey," Mrs. Stevenson continued, "your fellow actors may not appreciate having you around when you're always thinking and talking about how good your performance is.  How do you think that makes them feel?"  Hallie nodded as she remembered sensing other actors' frustration with her attitude.  "Hallie, this play is an opportunity for you to perform for God's glory, to be a part of something bigger than you.  Don't let yourself squander this opportunity on pride.  Be humble about what you are doing, and God will bless your efforts."

~~~~

With her mother's words in mind, Hallie played her part with everything within her, and the audience loved it.  "Great job, Hallie," one of the other actresses complimented her.

"You did great, too, Megan!" Hallie responded.

"That was wonderful, Hallie!" Mrs. Lewis hurried to praise the star actress.  "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Lewis - I enjoyed being a part of God's work."

~~~~

"Good job, honey!" Mrs. Stevenson hugged Hallie when she joined her family later.

"You were right, Mom," Hallie said.  "Once I stopped thinking so much about myself, it seemed to be a lot more fun for everyone.  I even have a couple new friends!"

"That's great," Mrs. Stevenson smiled.  "We'll always be glad we live the way God tells us to.  I'm so proud of you!"

"Not proud, Mom," Hallie grinned.  "Humble."

The Smallest Things

In contrast to everything you hear about "self-esteem," the Bible has no flattering descriptions of man.  Some of the adjectives used to describe us in our sinful state are "dead" (Ephesians 2:1-3), "alienated and hostile in mind" (Colossians 1:21), and "corrupt...none who does good, not even one" (Psalm 14:3).  The Genesis flood in Noah's day occurred because of man's sinfulness, for "'the intention of man’s heart is evil"' (Genesis 8:21).  According to the London Baptist Confession, every one of us is"...utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil" (see here).  Doesn't sound too promising, does it? Part of being humble is realizing our true position before God.  Without His mercy, this is what we are: dead in our evil-ness, and powerful to do anything about it.  We are, if you will, "bad to the bone."  Once we are saved through Christ, we become a new creation - but none of it is our doing.  As Paul asked the Corinthians, "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).  As Christians, everything we have we have received from God.  We did nothing to deserve our material pleasures, family and friends, talents and abilities, or even our salvation; all of it was freely given to us.  Paul's point is that, if we didn't earn it, we shouldn't be proud and conceited as if we are somehow worthy of it.  In Humility: True Greatness, author C.J. Mahaney quotes Carl Henry, a brilliant yet humble theologian.  Henry, when asked how he had remained humble for so long, answered, "How can anyone be arrogant when he stands beside the cross?" (Humility, p. 68).  It's a thought-provoking reminder.  How can we be proud when we reflect on what Christ has done for us?  We who were "dead in our transgressions" God made us "alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5).

The English Standard Version of the Bible has an intriguing translation of Romans 12:10b: "Outdo one another in showing honor."  While one aspect of humility involves our relationship with God, another branch guides our relationships with other people.  Paul encouraged the Romans to see who could give more honor to others.  Instead of being proud and wanting to receive the attention ourselves, Paul taught that we should see how much honor we can give instead of receive.  Paul himself was an example of humility.  He wrote to the Corinthians, "Do we not have the right...?...Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ" (1 Corinthians 9:4-5, 12).  Paul humbled himself by not demanding his rights, and instead chose to bless others.  Teaching by example, Paul showed that it's not about fairness or insisting on our rights; Christians should be humble by realizing that their first priority is glorifying and serving God - not seeking honor for ourselves.

It's hard to be humble.  Sometimes the hardest things are the smallest things - like not bragging about the part you played in winning the game, or insisting that you get to go first (because your sibling always gets to go first), or maybe showing off your abilities and talents.  As sinful humans, we will often feel the need to look for esteem from others.  But as Christians, we must remember that our priority is God's glory, not our esteem.  It's not easy, is it?  But the Bible is full of promises for those who are humble (see Proverbs 15:33, 22:4; James 4:10).  No, it's not easy, but it is worth it to honor God, know Him more, and be rewarded by Him.

"Thus says the LORD: 'Heaven is my throne,
   and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
   and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
   and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look:
   he who is humble and contrite in spirit
   and trembles at my word.'"

Isaiah 66:1-2

What Child is This?

Philippians 2:1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus, who,

though He was in the form of God,

did not count equality with God a thing
to be grasped,

but made Himself nothing,
taking the form of a servant,

being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form,
He humbled himself by

becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed

on Him the name that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:1-11, ESV