Stop Hiding

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"One of the problems with pride is that we can see it so easily in others, but not in ourselves," writes Jerry Bridges.

Gregory Frizzell adds, "Pride is a subtle sin so easily overlooked... True revival always begins with deep humility and brokenness over sin."

How should I overcome my hidden pride to find humility and revival?

  • Assess myself honestly. Psalm 139:23-24 begs, "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." God knows all our faults. We can't hide from him. Why don't we stop hiding from ourselves?
  • Seek true humility. Psalm 51:17 confesses, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." God gives grace to the humble.  Don't we need all the grace as we can get?
  • Identify with humanity. Ezra 9:6 laments, "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens." We are part of a fallen race. Will you joining in confession together?
  • Confess wholeheartedly. 1 John 1:9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Naming it alone does not suffice. Turning from pride and sin, can't we give ourselves fully to God?

As we are broken and humble, we are moved to repentance and turning from sin, God offers gracious forgivenness, we expererience new freedom in Christ, that infuses us with greater love for God and others, resulting in more powerful worship of God, and bringing us to new depths of humility in His awesome presence. This is the cycle of revival.  A spiritual flywheel that gains momentum by the Holy Spirit as we continually lean in.

Hidden pride is powerful.

Sin has power in secret.

Sin exposed becomes powerless.

Stop hiding from yourself.

You are the only one you are fooling.

Taking Color

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"He is evidently a man who takes color from his surroundings."

So said Theodore Roosevelt of William Howard Taft in 1910. You can read it in Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris.

Taft had become the object of Roosevelt's ire. As his successor to the White House in 1908, Roosevelt envisioned Taft continuing to move his own dear policies and reforms forward. Taft did not meet Roosevelt's expectations. And, as anyone who crossed the iconic Roosevelt in politics knew, Teddy's shun was stronger than his embrace. Gregarious and a lover of thoughts and ideals, Roosevelt was also a bulldog political fighter. His opponents were to pay. Even with their political lives. Roosevelt was "The Man in the Ring."

Dear Taft, not of poor character or intelligence, capable and accomplished of his own right, suffered from a fatal flaw during his presidency: He was not Theodore Roosevelt. Not so bold. Not so charismatic. Not so cocksure. Pity any man in any arena to follow a star so bright as Teddy. Such was Taft's blessing and curse.

And, as Roosevelt saw it, Taft no longer closely influenced by him was now adrift and aimless while occupying the most powerful seat in the world. Squandering the presidency of the United States of America.

"He is evidently a man who takes color from his surroundings," may be true of any of us.

President or pauper. Boss or worker. Man or woman. Experienced or novice. Old or young.

How firmly will we hold our convictions?

How courageously will keep our commitments?

How quickly will we change our colors?

Tweeting Patience

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Driving to work one recent morning. Thinking through things in my life. My Scripture reading. The sermons I'd listened to while running. A few relationships that were challenging me. Some situations that were trying me.

Thinking it all through. Prayerfully.

And then an original aphorism came to mind.

Ever forget patience is a virtue? Only to be reminded why.

Oh, that's good. Concise. True. Noteworthy.

Tweetworthy!

Almost to work. Can't write while driving. Won't tweet while driving. But I don't want to forget. So I role it around my brain a few more times until I'm parked safely.

Grab my iPhone.

Slide the screen.

Tap Twitter.

Get nothing.

Dead.

Stalled.

What?! You're Twitter. Not Facebook! You're supposed to be fast.

Why so slow?! Stupid thing! I wanna tweet this great, original quote about patience & you choose NOW to be slower than molasses in January?!

AGH! Let. Me. Write. My. Quote. About. PATIENCE!!!!!

Ohhhhhh.

Impatient... me. About... patience.

Forgetting: Patience is a virtue.

And reminding myself why.

The end of the matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:8-9

Note: I used the cute, blue bird above due to his peronality. He is Ollie, the Twitterific bird. Twitterrific is a really great app for Apple devices that makes Twitter extra terriffic. 

The Nebraska Preschool Polar Bear Club

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We have plenty of snow. Record one-day total.

It's 15 degrees outside. Fahrenheit.

20-plus mile per hour winds. Mercilessly from the north.

The wind chill is below zero. Ouch.

Yet. Here is my five year old son. Swimsuit & goggles on. Looking at the snow. Ready to jump in the pool. Indoors.

We're not members of the Nebraska Preschool Polar Bear Club. That's crazy.

We're are members of a climate controlled health club.  That's nice.

And as members we enjoy access to all the club has to offer. Including an indoor pool. So what are a Daddy & a rambunctious boy to do on a sub-freezing day to burn some energy? Swimming!

We had a great time. In spite of the weather.

Like you can. As a Christ Follower. Abiding in Christ.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

Leave a comment about your shelter in Jesus. And especially if you just Googled Nebraska Pre-School Polar Bear Club.