December 16, 1997
There is a lake in the Antarctica with water reading 80 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if anyone wanted to dive in and explore it, they would have to take with them a drill or a saw. Chilled by cold air above it, this lake is covered with ice.
George (not his real name) is like that. If there is a warm person on the inside, he keeps it well hidden under a self-protection layer of reserve. Others cannot get to know him or experience what he is like on the inside.
George might admit that he is afraid if others knew him well, they would not like him very much. He protects himself from rejection by what Christian counselor and psychologist Larry Crabb calls “layers.” Like the ice over the lake, these layers hide what is underneath. Crabb says it is almost always insecurity about acceptance, worth or competence.
Whether or not we use the term “layers,” most of us are aware of what we think are our flaws. We might use cosmetics to hide external marks and blemishes but there are no cover sticks for feelings of inferiority. Instead, we either withdraw or go overboard to prove ourselves.
Some people do it with their possessions. They buy the latest car or computer and show off by boasting about it. Others hide their inadequacy behind shyness, reasoning that if people do not notice them, they will not ask them to do anything and they will never betray their inabilities.
Others hide in alcohol or drugs, or become involved with one boy or girl friend after another. Some become powerful controllers who manipulate people so no one can see their weaknesses. Some retreat and become doormats. For them, being told what to do is easier than having people find out they are unable (or so they think) to make their own plans, never mind carry them out.
People who try to feel loved, valuable and competent through making demands on others or their own performance or possessions, always fall short. The main problem is that material things never last and people, even at their best, are unreliable.
For people made in His image, these three core needs can only be met by the triune God. He can make us feel complete. He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, and in loving kindness I have drawn you.” He always cares, and proved it by sending His Son to die for us. When others fail to love us, God’s love is reliable and unconditional. We do not earn it or deserve it but it is something in His nature. He is a God of love. That is what He does.
We can also measure our worth by the price that God was willing to pay for us. To Him, our value is the life of His Son. That is what He paid to redeem us. We are people of worth to God. We do not need to prove ourselves but entrust ourselves to His love and value system.
Competence comes also from God. He gives His Holy Spirit to each one who believes in Him and receives His Son as personal Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit is a willing helper but we are not His robots. If we want to have His power and live using His competence, we must yield to Him. That yielding is immediately forfeited whenever we put up layers.
Instead, God tells us to deal with our inadequacies by dropping all self-protecting layers and acknowledging our insecurities to Him. Through Christ, we can know we are loved and have worth. Through His Spirit, we “can do all things.” We do not have to hide or prove anything.
In God’s care, we may at first feel vulnerable without our layers but as we learn to operate in His three-sided triangle of love, worth and competence, feeling weak gradually becomes something to appreciate. The Apostle Paul even said he could “boast gladly” about his inadequacies. He knew that God Himself promised His power is made perfect in our weaknesses and His grace is sufficient to set us free from all our fears.
Showing posts with label valued by God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label valued by God. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Friday, June 10, 2016
Human Value and Values .................. Parables 443
October 18, 1994
Losses from 40 years of highway and drowning accidents added to the loss from over 115 years of war (including the Boer, WW I, WW II, Korean, and Persian Gulf wars) equals a total death count of nearly 360,000 Canadian people. In less than half that time, from 1970 to 1991, there have been 1,249,601 abortions.
Statistics from the United States reveal 1,300,000 died in the American Revolution, the Civil War, WW I, WW II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The number for legal abortions in the U.S. to 1981 is over 12 million. Many more have occurred since.
The law says swimming pools must hire life guards so people will not drown. Speed limits are enforced to make driving and highways safer. For the same reason, automobile manufacturers are given a list of standards they must meet. World leaders hold extensive and expensive summit meetings trying to end war. Yet, according to the above statistics, there are inconsistencies in how our leaders evaluate human life.
What is Canadian policy on population? We supposedly need more people, thus we open our doors to immigrants from other countries. Unlike China, we have no laws telling couples one child only. The laws is not against numerical growth, but we do have a law that allows destruction of our greatest resource.
Some who favor abortion argue human life does not start at conception. To them, it is not a person until it is actually born, or at least well along in development. But it is alive. The heart beat begins 28 days after conception. Brain waves can be recorded very early. If it is not a live human, what is an unborn child?
Others say the pregnancy was unplanned and the baby unwanted; it is better to abort than bring an unwanted child into the world. What about those parents who want babies and wait up to seven years before any are available for adoption?
Maybe the problem has more to do with values. In that regard, God is far more consistent than we are. To Him, life is important from the womb to the tomb. He even expresses interest in every stage of development.
For example, consider what King David of Israel said: “From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.... You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Jeremiah is another instance. The Lord said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
A third example is a young woman who was told she would have a child. He would be “great and will be called the Son of the Most High... he will reign... and his kingdom will never end.” This child was conceived before she was married. The man to whom she was engaged knew the baby was not his.
If Jeremiah’s or David’s mother had decided to abort, we would not have the 23rd and a host of other Psalms, nor would we have some of the most amazing prophetic utterances in Scripture. If Mary and Joseph had decided they did not want their baby, the whole world would be without a Savior.
Freedom of choice supposedly makes life better. In this case, statistics can give us only numbers. We may never know what we have missed.
Losses from 40 years of highway and drowning accidents added to the loss from over 115 years of war (including the Boer, WW I, WW II, Korean, and Persian Gulf wars) equals a total death count of nearly 360,000 Canadian people. In less than half that time, from 1970 to 1991, there have been 1,249,601 abortions.
Statistics from the United States reveal 1,300,000 died in the American Revolution, the Civil War, WW I, WW II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. The number for legal abortions in the U.S. to 1981 is over 12 million. Many more have occurred since.
The law says swimming pools must hire life guards so people will not drown. Speed limits are enforced to make driving and highways safer. For the same reason, automobile manufacturers are given a list of standards they must meet. World leaders hold extensive and expensive summit meetings trying to end war. Yet, according to the above statistics, there are inconsistencies in how our leaders evaluate human life.
What is Canadian policy on population? We supposedly need more people, thus we open our doors to immigrants from other countries. Unlike China, we have no laws telling couples one child only. The laws is not against numerical growth, but we do have a law that allows destruction of our greatest resource.
Some who favor abortion argue human life does not start at conception. To them, it is not a person until it is actually born, or at least well along in development. But it is alive. The heart beat begins 28 days after conception. Brain waves can be recorded very early. If it is not a live human, what is an unborn child?
Others say the pregnancy was unplanned and the baby unwanted; it is better to abort than bring an unwanted child into the world. What about those parents who want babies and wait up to seven years before any are available for adoption?
Maybe the problem has more to do with values. In that regard, God is far more consistent than we are. To Him, life is important from the womb to the tomb. He even expresses interest in every stage of development.
For example, consider what King David of Israel said: “From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.... You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Jeremiah is another instance. The Lord said to him: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
A third example is a young woman who was told she would have a child. He would be “great and will be called the Son of the Most High... he will reign... and his kingdom will never end.” This child was conceived before she was married. The man to whom she was engaged knew the baby was not his.
If Jeremiah’s or David’s mother had decided to abort, we would not have the 23rd and a host of other Psalms, nor would we have some of the most amazing prophetic utterances in Scripture. If Mary and Joseph had decided they did not want their baby, the whole world would be without a Savior.
Freedom of choice supposedly makes life better. In this case, statistics can give us only numbers. We may never know what we have missed.
Monday, June 6, 2016
God’s Sovereignty in Human Affairs .................. Parables 441
October 4, 1994
A pastor struggled with feeling insignificant. He thought his work was futile and had no practical value. He even wondered if God remembered who he was. Despondent, he asked his congregation for a sabbatical.
During his holiday, he walked past a phone booth. The phone began ringing and since no one was around, he answered it. An operator came on the line saying it was a person-to-person call for Pastor... and said his name. Startled the pastor said, “This is me; speaking.”
The caller began talking. She had once seen him on a television program and wanted to get his advice. She Googled the phone number and was not sure she had written it correctly. She was glad he was there to take her call. Could he please help her?
After a few minutes of counseling, the woman was greatly encouraged. She made an appointment to visit his office and the amazed pastor hung up the phone. He then realized no matter how he felt, God not only remembered who he was, but could use him whenever He needed him, no matter where he went!
I heard this incredible story from a person who heard it from the pastor. Some might think it an extraordinary coincidence but the pastor did not receive it that way. He believed God used those odd circumstances to assure him that he was significant; he did have value in God’s plans.
Perhaps divine providence does include unusual events like wrong numbers that turn out to be right ones; however God provided a more definite demonstration of our value to Him, one that our fluctuating feelings or circumstances cannot change.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).
God says Christ died for us when we were powerless. We had no value to Him because in our sinful condition, we cannot do His will and our actions are simply counterproductive to His plan. However, when Jesus died for us, God could forgive every sin. Not only that, He works in those who believe to make us like Christ, powerful and useful, able to do our part to build His kingdom.
Further, Romans 8 says no one can condemn us because Christ died for our sins. More than that, He was raised to life and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. When we make mistakes, we are forgiven.
The Bible says nothing, including negative feelings about ourselves, critical attitudes from others, whatever we do or do not do, and certainly whatever anyone else does or does not do, can ever separate us from His love. We can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.
The worth of a commodity is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it, practical value or not. Some items like old coins, sports cards, and comic books have little practical value but those who want such things will pay thousands of dollars for them.
Our worth could be measured by its practical value but a more stable measurement is the price Someone was willing to pay for us. When Jesus died, He established forever that we are people of great value to God.
A pastor struggled with feeling insignificant. He thought his work was futile and had no practical value. He even wondered if God remembered who he was. Despondent, he asked his congregation for a sabbatical.
During his holiday, he walked past a phone booth. The phone began ringing and since no one was around, he answered it. An operator came on the line saying it was a person-to-person call for Pastor... and said his name. Startled the pastor said, “This is me; speaking.”
The caller began talking. She had once seen him on a television program and wanted to get his advice. She Googled the phone number and was not sure she had written it correctly. She was glad he was there to take her call. Could he please help her?
After a few minutes of counseling, the woman was greatly encouraged. She made an appointment to visit his office and the amazed pastor hung up the phone. He then realized no matter how he felt, God not only remembered who he was, but could use him whenever He needed him, no matter where he went!
I heard this incredible story from a person who heard it from the pastor. Some might think it an extraordinary coincidence but the pastor did not receive it that way. He believed God used those odd circumstances to assure him that he was significant; he did have value in God’s plans.
Perhaps divine providence does include unusual events like wrong numbers that turn out to be right ones; however God provided a more definite demonstration of our value to Him, one that our fluctuating feelings or circumstances cannot change.
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8).
God says Christ died for us when we were powerless. We had no value to Him because in our sinful condition, we cannot do His will and our actions are simply counterproductive to His plan. However, when Jesus died for us, God could forgive every sin. Not only that, He works in those who believe to make us like Christ, powerful and useful, able to do our part to build His kingdom.
Further, Romans 8 says no one can condemn us because Christ died for our sins. More than that, He was raised to life and is at the right hand of God interceding for us. When we make mistakes, we are forgiven.
The Bible says nothing, including negative feelings about ourselves, critical attitudes from others, whatever we do or do not do, and certainly whatever anyone else does or does not do, can ever separate us from His love. We can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us.
The worth of a commodity is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it, practical value or not. Some items like old coins, sports cards, and comic books have little practical value but those who want such things will pay thousands of dollars for them.
Our worth could be measured by its practical value but a more stable measurement is the price Someone was willing to pay for us. When Jesus died, He established forever that we are people of great value to God.
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