Happy Birthday Jordan. It is Jordan's (my little brother) birthday today and just I just wanted to take the time to say happy birthday. I have been thinking a lot lately about relationships and my interactions with people. I think the main thing that has popped out at me as I have been thinking and meditating on this topic is that they all depend on me. The Bible never puts the emphasis on the second party with regards to the health or well being of the relationship (unless I have missed something). It all comes down to us and how much we are willing to put into the relationship and take out of our selves. If we look at Philippians 2:1-8 we can see that we are to be radically other centered. Two weeks ago I was sharing on this passage in a small group and I was saying that we are called to count others as more important than ourselves, to put others before us, and consider ourselves as less for the sake of others. An objection was raised to this on the grounds that in a book this person was reading (I am guessing by a Christian author) it said that we are all equal. They seemed to be getting upset because I said that they need to think of themselves as less important and of others as more. I did not really understand how this person could read what we were reading and question the fact that Paul is telling us to let go of the equal standing we have with others and become their servants. Paul tells us verses 3-4 and then grounds this with verse 5 and expounds 5 with 6-8 how can you say "I deserve to be treated the same as others and should not think that anyone is more important than me but that we are all equal and deserve the same." Christ gave up his glorious equality with God and "made himself nothing(vs 7)" and then once he was nothing (i.e. a servant in the form of man) "he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."(vs 8) Here we see dual humility by becoming nothing and then becoming an accursed nothing (cursed is any man who hangs on a tree). How can anyone say that we deserve to think of ourselves as equals when Paul gives this example of how we are to think of ourselves as Christ thought of himself. We must be willing to let go of our "rights" and our "entitlements". Once this is done and we are no longer holding to anything that we feel we deserve we will be free to love as Christ loved. Only if we become nothing will we be able to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I say let us become nothing with Him. Let us become the servants of all. As the writer of Hebrews said "let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured."(vs 13:13)
Sorry for that rant but I am growing weary of people being so seeker sensitive that they candy coat the Bible to the point that you can't get to the meat of scripture for thick candy shell of worldly wisdom and man centered application. (In with the good air... out with the bad.)
Bum and I are doing well and thank you for your prayers. I went and discussed the terms of my upcoming position at NES Language School. God has provided this position for me to meet the financial needs that Bum and I will have. She will be leaving her position at the church at the end of March which will make me the sole bread winner of the house. My financial support has gone from a small group of people and a small church to two people and a small church (I thank God for your steadfast devotion and support for what I am doing and your willingness to give, even when you did not really have it to give.). This new job will give us more money than our previous incomes combined. God is so good to us. I will be teaching 20 hours a week to children and adults. Odds are that all of the studnets I will come in contact with will be unsaved, unchurched, and unenterested. Pray that my life will be witness and example of Gods love and that doors will be opened for me to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. I already have good relationships with most of the staff at the school and have been able to talk in depth about what I believe with one of the ladies (her name is Nid) in the office. She has told me several times that if she had the time she would like to come to church with Bum and I. I hope to be able to start studying the Bible with her after I start working there.
Please continue to pray for us and the work we are doing. I will finish my internship on Feb. 27th and will start working at NES on either the 9th or the 16th. Bum will be oficially unemployed at the end of March and has about 100 different things she has been thinking about doing. Pray for guidence for us both as we are starting new chapters in our lives.
As soon as I remember to hook up the camera I will have some pictures of the last few weeks for you. Maybe this will happen later in the week.
He must increase, but we must decrease.
Glynn and Bum
P.S. Sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes that I am sure are all through this post. The spell check is not working and we all know I am not a speller.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment