"Exchanging Natural Pride For Supernatural Humility" by Cathy Kunkle
Welcome back ladies! This week's contributor is my sweet mom Cathy Kunkle. It is evident that she prayerfully considered what to write about Chapters 3 & 4. Likewise, it is evident that she took to heart how God wants her to practically apply what she's learned. So, enough chatting from me. Let's hear what she has to say and join in on the discussion! I lovingly give you, my mom:
Chapter 3
God is so concerned about what is taking place in our minds and hearts. I love when God's Word spells out things in black and white. There is no question about what He wants us to do and what He wants us to stay away from. He says in Phil.2:3 Do NOTHING from selfish ambition or conceit.
We ought to have such a awe/fear of God that it manifest itself in our actions, how we live out our life. When we are mindful that we represent Christ to all we encounter each day, it can change what our natural response might have been. Phil 2:3 says in humility count others more significant than yourselves. That's not easy to do. It's not my natural inclination to look at the interest of others first before my own. Matt Chandler puts it this way... Every moment we operate out of selfish ambition and conceit, every time we think of ourselves better than others or look only to our own interests, we are essentially saying "I am God". Ouch!
Psalm 8:3-4 says "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him? That puts it in perspective. I am God's creation. He is my master and Lord. Sometimes it's hard for me to take in how much God loves me and you. God never intended for us to be separated from Him, but our sin did that. He is a holy God and cannot look upon sin, but loved us so much He made a way for us to be reconciled to Himself through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus willingly died on the cross, paying my penalty for sin, to redeem me to Himself. Therefore we can join Mary in singing "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
There is mercy for those who fear Him! When we are saved, we receive the greatest treasure that exists - Christ Himself - which is worth losing all things for. John 1:16 says we get grace upon grace. God helps us in giving us His Spirit, our comforter and counselor, who works through us and leads us into the truth. We can come to God with reverence and confidence in prayer, knowing He hears us, that we may receive mercy and find grace in time of need.
God exalts those who fear His name.
Chapter 4
Again in Chapter 4 God addresses heart and mind issues. Phil 2:21 states... "For they all seek their own interests not those of Jesus Christ". It is important that our thoughts line up with the Word of God. Let us not become as the people Paul addresses in Romans 1 - who knew God but became futile in their own thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened.
If we have been wounded in our hearts by people, we need to do business with that wound or we will continue to wound ourselves and others. Let the truth God reveals to us through His Word and His Spirit within us, penetrate in our souls so we can bind up and heal that wound. God wants us to be mature Christians who grasp on to His love so therefore we can love others. I have a wound that peeks it's head even though I felt I have already dealt with it. When it surfaces again I need to go back and align it with the truth I know is true. The things God has taught me concerning that issue.
It's so important to look deep into ourselves for the true issue and strive to be at peace with all people as much as possible. Keep a close watch on your heart and not get lost in the imagination of your heart.
Paul talks about the death of self. God gives us the mind of Christ. He doesn't say "try hard to think like Jesus", He tells us that we have this mind. So use it. The sin I do is natural. The good I do for others is supernatural. God will empower me and you to obey when we submit to His authority.
Matt says, Always, Always, Always seek the cross. It is there that we see our example for service and sacrifice for others. It is good for us to remember the prayer of John the Baptist: He must increase but I must decrease.
There are 2 examples of men who sacrificed their own needs for the genuine concern for the church in Philippi , Timothy and Epaphroditus. They both placed their 1st priority for the work of Christ. They knew that ultimately they were totally secure in Jesus. So are we! Our security lies in Jesus, not in anything this world offers.
We must recognize that each person we meet is a spiritual being. How can I serve? How can I sacrifice to bring glory to God.
As I read these chapters I knew that I have "developmental delays" in my growth as a follower of Christ. I have attitudes that needed to be repented of and hopefully become a more mature Christian woman. We live in a crooked and twisted generation. God says as believers we are to shine as lights in the world, holding fast to His Word.
Boom. Okay mom- way to get real. These were no light chapters to snack on. This was meat, and we got a serving - first from God's Word, then from Matt, and here from my mom. As my mom shared, I also am becoming more aware of some "developmental delays" in my prideful heart. How about you? Do you have a comment or question to make in response to the reading and/or discussion this week? If so, please share it!
This week, we are reading Chapters 5, 6 & 7 from the book. And from the Bible, we are reading Philippians Chapter 3.
Be sure to keep each other in prayer throughout the week, and then check back next Monday to hear from one of my very favorite humans, Ms. Becky Hendricks :)
Do nothing from selfish ambition 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. Philippians 2:3-4, ESV
Do nothing from selfish ambition 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. Philippians 2:3-4, ESV
4 comments:
Diane Trautner says:
Thanks Cathy for doing your homework so diligently, what great insight. I love this book, he brings everything down to our level, no pretense where Matt is concerned. He really elaborates on the love of God and how deep and secure we are in that unconditional love. The verse from Psalms about God the Creator and his magnificent creation and yet to even think of me is mind bloging. I blessed to be able to think of one person at a time. Do do things out of selfish ambition and conceit is really soul searching.
Makes me ponder do I really do things for the love of Him or for my own self gratification. If I am being trly honest I would say yes to both areas. I need to always keep in mind for Whom as I doing this. These chapters were just filled with so much, I didn;t want to stop reading , but more importantly I want to put into pracitice what I've learned. I keep telling the Lord that I am a slow learner, and the older I get the slower I become in some things anyway.
Kathy Miles says:
Always seek the cross. Matt considers Paul's words encouraging us to do nothing from selfish ambition, but to do everything in humility, considering others more than ourselves. How is this possible ? It can only be possible because Jesus gives us the " mind" of Christ by his grace. Someone once told me to dwell on the gospel and the cross everyday as soon as I awake, before the day begins and I run ahead with "my " agenda. That dwelling on Jesus and what he endured by choice for us would help to have this mind in me . To start the day seeking to serve and not be served. I often think of the verse, john 15:5 that Amy often speaks of...."for without me you can do nothing". No thing- I can not do anything that is loving and selfless without abiding in Christ. It is natural for me to be selfish, not selfless. The bible tells us we are justified in a moment but continually being sanctified. It is an ongoing work on my heart and I fail often. The comfort is knowing that he forgives us when we fail.
Paul’s experience continues to have a huge impact on my spiritual journey. His very walk with Christ demonstrates his willingness to humble himself. I think it is so amazing that he poured himself into so many people, yet some of them turned on him. He realized that it is all for the Cross. This drives home the fact that we are to put others first, as Christ did….the kind of thing you knew but maybe didn’t always realize. Also being humble is not a sign of weakness as society would see it, but of spiritual maturity. On to Chapter 5!
God has scattered the proud in the "imagination" of their hearts (Luke 1:51, page 69). Wow. This, more than anything, is what hit me hard in Chapters 3 & 4. Ask my mom, I've got a GOOD imagination. Oh, yes. Especially when I'm mad at someone and I'm having an imaginary fight with them in the mirror. Or when I'm imagining myself as someone much more important than I actually am. God made the imagination and for sure it can be a gift, but when I allow my imagination to be filled with pride - danger! When I'm fired up and practicing how I'm going to handle a hypothetical conversation, that's pride, and it shows a lack of dependence on God's Spirit. Christine Caine posted this John Calvin quote on Facebook last week, '"There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence' - I'd much rather have the wisdom of the Spirit than an answer I came up with on my own!" Luke 12:11-12 says, "do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." Loving this book!!!
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