Secret Society

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It seems to be the church in America is like a secret society. A masquerade. We exalt ourselves secretly in our hearts and minds. We dress up in nice clothes, paint our nails, put on our make up and do our hair, and pretend we are good. It’s all a performance. A sham. A pretense. We look around, assessing, comparing, condemning, judging. And we do it while we smile at each other so no one can see what we are doing. We are rivals. Competitors. Divided in our hearts. Secretly wanting to be the best. Only we are not as dumb as those disciples were who actually said it out loud! “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest” (Mark 9:33-34).

We keep it secret. Because we fear that if everyone really knew what was in our hearts and minds, they might judge and condemn us. So we live our secret lives and remain secret enemies, pretending to be friends. And the enemy wins again.

What would really happen if we were exposed? What would happen if we chose to take off our masks? Confess our sins not only to the Lord, but to one another? The Bible answers this question. The answer is healing. James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

It’s true that before Jesus saved us we “were darkness” (Eph. 5:8). “But now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, o sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise” (Eph. 5:8-15). “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph. 5:1-2). “Let us not become conceited” (Gal. 5:26). “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3).

“Love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own” (1 Cor. 13:4-5). God is love. “If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Gal. 6:3). “But when they measure themselves by another and compare thmeslves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).

This is all that came to mind as I confessed to the Lord my continued comparing and judging spirit, as I sought to exhort my own soul with the truth of God’s Word and the truth of what biblical love is. We must stop comparing ourselves to others. We are one in Christ and we are to live as one in Christ, united in Him. The most beautiful gardens have variety. The Lord has made us all in His image, but we are all unique and beautiful in His sight. May He give us grace to look to Jesus.

“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Eph. 6:23-24).

Learning to Live in the Garden of Grace

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Is It Wrong to Be Proud?

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Spring brings flowers and showers and many rites of passage! In recent weeks, Facebook seems full of photos of school dances, graduations, and end-of-the-school year events. This is a very busy time of year. For those of us with school-aged children, we are wrapping up another school year, and that always involves reaching – and sharing – milestones and achievements.

Lately, as I have scrolled through Facebook, I latched onto something I have not noticed before: how often we (universally) say we are proud of someone or something. We are proud of our sons and daughters for _________________ (fill in the blank). This has led me to think a good deal about pride and the expression of it. Is it wrong to feel proud of our children when they work hard and do well? Is it sinful to feel pride at accomplishing a goal we have set for ourselves?

No. I do not think it is wrong to delight in our children when they graduate, win an award, or get a passing grade for which they worked very hard. Nor do I think it is wrong for us to post pictures of our children and say we are proud of their accomplishments.

However, I think there are inherent dangers with feeling and expressing pride – over anything. For example, if I say I am proud of my son for making the Honor Role, with no acknowledgement in my heart of God, am I not denying the role that God had in my son’s accomplishment? After all, God is the giver of all good things (James 1:17).

Pride can very quickly go from justifiable satisfaction to arrogance. It can blind us completely. Our pride can rule our decisions and ruin our relationships. Worst of all, it causes us to forget the Lord (Deut 8:14). I have been considering the following verses from Proverbs:

  • Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18)
  • One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. (Prov. 29:23)
  • Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished. (Prov. 16:5)
  • Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. (Prov. 18:12)

I think the line between feeling pleasure over one’s achievements and haughtiness is slim. Perhaps it would be better to ascribe glory to the Lord for His faithfulness in helping us complete a job or attain a goal rather than describe our feeling as “pride.” This also goes for how we feel about our children. I want my children to know I delight in their achievements! But instead of saying, “I’m so proud of you,” I will now strive to say, “I PRAISE God for your work ethic! I am so grateful for how He has blessed you!” Because that is what any and all accomplishments are really all about: GOD, and how He has blessed us.

The more we give glory to God for the things we do well, the more we guard our hearts against pride, the more we see Him as the source of our gifting, and the more gratitude we cultivate in our hearts and lives.

So, being proud of a job well done is not necessarily wrong. But being grateful to God is better.

Growing in Grace

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In Every Season

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“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1-8). We are told that every year we experience four seasons: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. If you live in Kentucky sometimes you can experience every season in one day. As a Christian, I also know I will experience many spiritual seasons. I have experienced seasons of grief, heartache, joy, and laughter. God has ordained from the beginning the many different seasons we will experience spiritually. He wants us to know that even in a season of grief we still must cling to Him above all. We must allow Him to be our shield and place our trust in Him. God is preparing us to glorify Him in every season.

I am in a season of change and I have let my flesh cloud my judgement. To be perfectly honest, I have not been glorifying to Him in this season of change, but I have let my flesh rule. I have not placed my trust in God, and I have tried to do everything on my own. I am so thankful God opened my eyes and let me see that I have been walking blindly and not by faith. I have been given the opportunity to die to my self once more and pick up my cross and walk with the Lord. God is faithful even when I am not. He is constantly searching for our hearts even when we seem lost. And I know if I put my faith in God, He will deliver me into a new season of joy and laughter. I am ready for my season of joy.

Showered in His Love

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