2021-09-24
Good Morning Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit commands me to continue with what He has to share about agape love. It’s clear to us that this is an important subject, which is why He has a lot to say on it. The word “to boast” in Greek is perpereuetai [pronounced: per-per-yoo’-om-ahee]. This word means to vaunt oneself, to call attention to oneself pridefully, to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments. Let’s look at 1 COR 1: 27-29, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lovely things of this world and the dispirited things and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are. so that no one may boast before Him.” Another way to state these truths is: God chose nonsense to shame the wise, weakness to shame the powerful, the things with no value to shame the valuable and the things the world despises, and to destroy what the world values. This means no one can boast in God’s presence, and He is omnipresent. GA 5: 16-17 comes to mind. “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desire of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”
It must be written that some people boast about themselves, because they are starved for healthy attention—usually by their parents or whoever reared them. This is not an excuse for their behavior, but it is an explanation. As adults, we are responsible for our own actions. If one is honest with himself, he will recognize his own weaknesses and bad habits, and he will correct them, i.e. align them with God’s teaching. I have an acquaintance who places herself in positions of leadership. Everyone around her finds her difficult to work with due to her superior attitude concerning her importance. She tends to be officious. She does good things but never without speaking as if those around her are her subordinates. I choose to keep my distance and to pray that one day she will realize she has a problem and act to correct it. What makes this sad is that she has other qualities which are good. So, the question is: Is it ever okay to boast about anything? Surprisingly, the answer is “yes!” 1 COR 1: 31, “Let those who boast; boast only of the Lord.” One who does this is a person who recognizes Who God is and of His accomplishments.
The Greek word meaning “to be proud, to puff up, to inflate, or blow up” is phusiouta [pronounced: “foo-see-o’-o”]. Its origins are the word in French for “bellows.” An example from the Scriptures is 2 CH 26: 16, “But soon after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” We should remember that what God gave first to the Jews, was how to please or displease Him. Those who understood and considered this important took the time to study His word. They knew and appreciated His teaching and lived by it. PS 10: 3-4, “In his pride, he boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. In his pride, the wicked does not see him in all his thoughts, there is no room for God.” Should we be in such a hurry to do things? This is an important question, especially in today’s world. If we would slow down on important issues, maybe we could find answers for our actions that God can accept. It would be, from the old adage: “Think first and then speak or act.” I see people all around me on their devices and turning first to the Internet. Rather it should be people who communicate effectively and turn to God in prayer FIRST. It seems to be human nature to give praise and thanks to another human, rather than from the real Originator of all that is good—the Lord.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your mighty throne to confess with contrition the false pride we have exhibited. When it’s a habit to show excessive pride which impacts others negatively, it is hard to break. And yet, You give us the power to do just that. There are many reasons why people act prideful, things like being taught by example, insecurity, greed, and over-estimation of one’s skills. Each of them is something You, the Lord, despise. These behaviors show lack of humility, reverence, and awe for You. When we respect You over ourselves, we honor You and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. We thank You for taking the time to demonstrate through Your Son, Jesus, what pleases You and what will lift us and others up spiritually. Help us in our weakness to recognize what is wrong and to have the courage to correct it. We offer this prayer of thanks and praise for You, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit knows this lengthy and important discussion of agape love is something we all need. Under the circumstances, I will continue relaying it next week. There is something which I don’t know or fully understand that happens in many families. This includes families like that of Jacob from the Bible. That something is favoring one or two children over the others. We know that Joseph with his coat of many colors and Benjamin were favored over their remaining 10 brothers and 1 sister. No explanation is ever given for this practice, but it is real even today, as it was in ancient times. Some children are harder to raise than their siblings, and sometimes a child is prettier. Whatever the reason, favoring one child over another is emotionally destructive. A lot of bad behavior either on the part of the parents or the child can result. We must remember, PR 16: 18, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” There are times when people are so used to doing a bad habit that they inure to it,becomming entirely unaware of their behavior. There are times when a person tries to place himself superior to God. In IS 14: 11-12 depicts the fall of God’s beloved angel, Lucifer, whose pride and efforts to place himself above God led to him being flung down to the earth, “where maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.” In this case, it was the angel’s fault and not the Creator’s. That is how Lucifer, God’s beloved angel, became the serpent, Satan. There are some belief systems which don’t teach the value of humility. No matter what good accomplishments we can rightly claim, none of them are without tracing them back to God’s intervention. It is He Who teaches us what is good, and it is we who should be thankful. Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
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