Boasting

 

I dislike a great many things in this world, but when in comes to human character I think I despise nothing quite like pride, arrogance, pompousness, pretentiousness and the like. As I am writing that I am reminded of the words of the Baal Shem Tov, “He would not have been given the opportunity to note his comrade’s offense if he had not been unconsciously guilty to some degree of the same offense.” Maybe it is because I despise my own pride so much that I find it intolerable in others. Be that as it may, I hate it.

I can’t speak for other people and how they acquire their pride, but I do know myself pretty well. Awareness of my own effort, awareness of my own accomplishment combined with an overestimation of said success, because let’s face it I am very generous when it comes to self-evaluation, is a sure recipe for pride. Just like false humility, a downsizing of an effort in the eyes of others so they might see how humble I am and thus ensuring some praise. The saddest part is that sometimes I don’t even realise I’m being prideful until after the fact. I hate it. I wait for the new heavens and new earth for that reason and more. Oh, to have clean eyes to evaluate things as they are without any hidden motive!

When it comes to salvation, I think God in His infinite wisdom and grace, made it available through faith and faith alone, precisely because that was the only way to rob our flesh of its reason to boast. “Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Our Maker knows us well. He knows we want to boast. But we sell ourselves short. We boast in the wrong things. My wisdom can be taken away with one good hit to the head, my might can be taken away with a slip of my foot, my riches (such as they are) can be take away in a split second. Nothing that I can do, say, or think is reason to boast. “For who sees anything different in you? 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)

This is why I see the ‘works versus faith’ argument as ridiculous. Are you saying we shouldn’t do good?! I am saying that you can’t even control the flow of blood in the arm you lift to do your good work with. I am saying that unless at this very moment, The God that calls the stars by name (Psalm 147:4) would consciously and purposefully will your blood pressure to be just right, you’d be a blathering mess that couldn’t even wipe your own nose. What can you do? Of your own initiative, independent of the grace that sustains you? NOTHING. But you’ll say, “yes, but it’s up to us to be obedient, to live holy lives.” Let’s knock that notion in the head once and for all.

Jesus, during His earthly ministry, went around asking people all these impossible things, such as telling a leper, “Be clean” (Luke 5:13), to a paralytic “rise, take up your bed and walk” (Mark 2:9), to a young dead man “I say to you, arise” (Luke 7:14), to a sinner, “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). None of them were commanded to do any of those things in their own strength. You cannot be holy in your own strength any more than a paralytic can jump up, or a dead man resurrect himself. The fact that He has authority over your weakness, and He commands it makes all the difference. You’re no different than Peter, a seasoned fisherman, that caught nothing all night. “And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5) If He asks me to rise, I’ll rise because He can make me stand. If He asks me to stop sinning, I’ll stop sinning because He can make me holy and pure. I believe in the One that asks it of me that He can make it happen in me. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) Every day I must believe He will give me grace to resist temptation, to believe He will help me be gracious instead of mean, to believe He can help me deny my own desires in favour of His will. Every day I must believe I’m growing even though I don’t see it. I can’t do anything of myself. It’s all “from him and through him and to him” (Romans 11:36)

“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.” (Romans 3:27)

 by Cristina Pop

Wings

 

Sometimes it’s so easy to wish to be somewhere else, anywhere else but where you find yourself in that precise moment. Like a naïve child you close your eyes shut, even squeeze them tight, with a mantra on your mind of, ‘make it stop, please make it stop’, only to open your eyes to the same reality. You end up echoing David’s words, “And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah.” (Psalm 55:6-7)

That’s a decisive place to be. Vacillating between fight or flight. It’s a choice you make in a matter of seconds. The enemy will use all the smoke and mirrors at his disposal to present the situation like the end. And you’ll fall for it more times you’ll care to admit. But this is where you either grow or mutate. Grow enough that the enemy will have to up his game next round. Or mutate. Into what? A mixture of longing and bitterness sprinkled with moments of loyalty, where you’ll even believe that you’re alright, only to fall back in the vortex. Never fully at peace, never fully a deserter.

You might choose flight. I have. Many times. Everybody’s flight looks different. In Hebrew, verse 6 of Psalm 55 is literally, ‘who will give me wings’. My answer to that question often is, ‘The Lord helps those that help themselves. If nobody will give me wings, I’ll just make some for myself!’ My wings are made of distractions. It hurts - I’ll watch a debate. It hurts – I’ll enter some inane argument about the 4 horses in Revelation. It hurts – I’ll fight with someone for their heretical views. It hurts – I’ll read and forget, I’ll dream myself away, anything, anything but be here. He promised to get me into a good land, with milk and honey and unicorns and rainbows and here I am before a raging sea and an army at my back! What kind of plan is this?! – Shameful, I know. The worst part is that if I allow myself to get into that mindset, I grow all sorts of bits that need pruning, and in His eternal mercy and grace, He still works on me.

Having said all that, there’s always the option to stay and fight. Everything inside you will rebel at the thought. You’re aware there’s nothing to fight with. You’re drained just by acknowledging that the situation is upon you, let alone tackle it in any constructive way. But you believe and you hope that if you stay right in the eye of the storm, The One that brought you here, will make a way. I’m not gonna lie, this option is the most painful way. To sit there and take every punch and all you have is promises, will make you feel like the biggest loser ever. But I can tell you this, the punches won’t kill you and if you stand your ground, trusting The One that made you those promises, you’ll see the beauty of God coming through for you. All you need to see is ONE bear killed, ONE lion’s jaw torn apart to make you unmoved in your conviction that, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”  (1 Samuel 17:37) God doesn’t allow the bear to attack you because He wants to destroy you, but because He’s preparing you to face giants with a slingshot and not be afraid. He doesn’t let you to sleep out in the field, guarding the sheep because He doesn’t want you to enjoy comfort, but because He’s teaching you how to survive in the wild when you’ll be running for your life from a Saul or Achish or even an Absalom.

I know it would be nice to know the exact purpose for your present pain, but not knowing is part of the blessing. It’s your opportunity to go against your nature and trust. Against all hope, against all common sense. He never lied and He won’t start with you. Just hang in there and command your soul to stop shaking. This too will pass. And at the end of this, there’s The Lord. Be strong and courageous!

 

by Cristina Pop

Antithesis

 

The fact that a man/woman loyal to the One True God is perishing, suffering, lacking, isn’t a sign that they are no better off than God’s enemies. Abundance, health, even life, are not
necessarily a sign of God’s favour. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)

I know people seldomly understand. They judge with eyes of flesh and hearts filled with darkness and they feel justified to conclude my God is impotent and useless because I look beaten. They think they have it good in life because of their daily positive affirmations, because they cleanse their karma and they meditate often and I, with my narrow view and antiquated rules and ideas am just missing the point. They are evolved while I am primitive. They are enlightened while I am still hanging on to superstitious nonsense. They are positive while I am negative. They are constantly growing while I am stuck. It sure looks that way. But I am not concerned with what it looks like. My Redeemer looked like an impostor to the people He came to save. They took The Lord of Life and killed Him. If people were blind when it came to Him, do you think it’s abnormal that people are just as blind when it comes to His followers?

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also.” (John 15:18-23)

“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1Corinthians 4:1-4)

I have never been silent about The Truth. To the best of my ability, I have always told it to anyone I could. Sometimes without wisdom, sometimes without tact, sometimes without compassion, sometimes in anger, but that doesn’t make The Truth less truthful. It just makes me a very imperfect servant in need of more grace than anyone else alive.

I will probably continue to look very unsuccessful until The Lord takes me home. I will probably continue to annoy some with my stubbornness and be the subject of gossip and psychoanalysis of every unfortunate soul that needs a box to put me in. But for my part, by the grace of God, I will continue to point you to Him, who can and will save your soul if you trust in Him.

"The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands.

For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.

But you, draw near, sons of the sorceress, offspring of the adulterer and the loose woman.

Whom are you mocking? Against whom do you open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue? Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit, you who burn with lust among the oaks, under every green tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

Among the smooth stones of the valley is your portion; they, they, are your lot; to them you have poured out a drink offering, you have brought a grain offering.

 Shall I relent for these things? On a high and lofty mountain, you have set your bed, and there you went up to offer sacrifice.

Behind the door and the doorpost, you have set up your memorial; for, deserting me, you have uncovered your bed, you have gone up to it, you have made it wide; and you have made a covenant for yourself with them, you have loved their bed, you have looked on nakedness.

You journeyed to the king with oil and multiplied your perfumes; you sent your envoys far off, and sent down even to Sheol.

You were wearied with the length of your way, but you did not say, “It is hopeless”; you found new life for your strength, and so you were not faint.

Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not lay it to heart?

Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and you do not fear me?

I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.

When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!  The wind will carry them all off, a breath will take them away.

But he who takes refuge in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way.”

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.

For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.

Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain, I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him.

But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt.

There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah chapter 57)

 by Cristina Pop