Who are we kidding?
I have been a believer now for four years... or so... and I still have problems navigating myself around Christians. One thing that still confuses the tar out of me is this picture of practical humility. I constantly joke with my friends about "my humility is amazing!" and the like, making light of the fact that one can't address their own humility without in fact showing their pride.
This has come to a head for me because of some recent blogs that I monitor. My dear friend Simon has traditionally been very patient and humble when it comes to his posts on calvinism and the like. I know him personally to have great character and heart for his brothers (and sisters) in Christ. For the first time however, I have read how people have seen him in a much different light. It all started with him using similar tactics of others to get his point across, namely "proof texting" articles and stuff like that. Anyway, all of that is to say - how are we to navigate this humilty thing?
I personally love Puritan works - whenever I get bummed I pick up the Reformed Pastor by Baxter to pick myself up. In this (awesome) book Richard Baxter addresses , among other things, the importance of a preacher to really know his own salvation and to work to be right with God before he works to make other right. What I love about the puritans is how seriously they take God. Anybody that integrates God into every aspect of their lives as seemlessly as the Puritans has my attention!! The thing I can't put my finger on is how believers can adapt puritan principles without being labeled...."puritanical" :)
How can one live humbly and share that with others without drawing attention to the fact that they are humble? And is it so bad to acknowledge one's own humility? At some point "being right with God" is only good for us. How can we translate that into our community? How can we become effectively humble - bringing other people to that place with God - without coming across as littel pious ninnies?
posted by Amie Lou @ 1:05 PM
1 Comments:
You ask a very significant question here, Amie. The answer is no simple one, and I sure can't answer it completely, but I have been learning an aweful lot about what exactly it means to be "rigt with God", "sanctified", "Holy", or whatever terms you want to apply to becoming like Christ.
There is one interresting thing that keeps coming to the surface, and this is no news for early Christians, but is perhaps something that Evangelicals in particular have a habbit of overlooking. That is the nature of a right relationship with God the Father. The "personal-holiness" aspect of our Christianity is indeed an important one, but as you have just pointed out this leaves little room for sharing effectively with others without feeling guilty of displaying a false piety. But remember that this call to "Love the Lord our God..." is only part of the equation. The second is to "love each other as ourselves". It is only when we are fully comitted to both of these aspects of Holiness, at the expense of self and all thoughts of our humility, that we can truly become "right with God".
Personal piety is an important thing, and it cannot help but drive some people to question our humility as opposed to self-rightousness. But if we cast aside these concerns and empty ourselves of all that is us, and put on all that is Christ, the rest will take care of itself, and others WILL be shown the Christ of Salvation and the God of Love.
Wow...hope that wasn't too preachy :/
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