Taking the Escalator Down

Few prophets describe humility better than Micah. In the last part of chapter 2, he essentially says...

1. Humble people submit to God’s provision as their Shepherd (2:12). They enjoy his role as supplier, and gladly say, “He takes care of me.”
2. Humble people submit to God’s authority as their King (2:13). They embrace his role as ruler and gladly say, “He rules over me.”

When these things are our mindset, we don’t have piles of pride blocking our view of God. All the ‘stuff’ and ‘self’ is flattened, and God alone is lifted high. We see clearly that God is all we need and God is all we heed! 

Jesus did exactly this, and no there’s no better picture of it than the one painted for us in Philippians 2. He humbled himself – he flattened himself – and became obedient to life as a mere man and death on a cruel cross. He took the “down escalator” from heaven’s throne and embraced the Father’s authority and provision. Why? So that we could be saved! Have you allowed his humility to take hold in your life?

Once saved, we can then live humbly like Jesus, our prime example of humility. And I can think of no better time than Christmas – or is it Me-mas? – to model his behavior. He took the escalator down. We can, too!

And that’s really what humility is – taking the down escalator! In fact, I thought back to my first memories of escalators – Wow, I thought. A moving staircase! I don’t know how old I was exactly, but I remember stepping toward the edge, wondering if those metal teeth were going to eat me up. Once I get on, can I get off? What about the end – will my shoes get caught and will I be trapped under the escalator? Yet, my dad was already on it, and if I was going to stay with him, I had to take the ride down. So I choose to step towards the descent, even with my questions and fears.

Humility is like our ride on the ‘down’ escalator – we step towards it and embrace the descent, no doubt wondering what might happen, but always trusting and obeying in our Shepherd and King.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Christmas or Me-mas?

The current commercialization of Christmas makes me wonder if we shouldn’t call it “Me-mas.” From many angles, December can be an awfully self-centered time of the year, can’t it? It can produce the very thing God hates – self-centeredness and pride. Let’s be honest – when you spend ...

• $24,500 on a genuine Lost in SpaceB-9 robot, or 
• $27,000 on a life-size (6’- 6”) Lego Batman, with only a $2700 shipping charge, or 
• $98,000 Ferrari Testarossa Two Seater Car for Kids, or 
• $250,000 on this Dance-On Piano (that’s $2841 per key and it comes with a private one-hour lesson) … 

…well, about the only thing that can result is a false and warped sense of our own importance. In a word, P-R-I-D-E!

(NOTE: These are actual Christmas gifts that can be bought (maybe not by any of us). Check http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/featr/content/shared/entertainment/interactives/holidays/christmas_outrageous_gifts/index.html for more outrageous gifts ideas.)

Pride is unpacked rather clearly in Micah 2. After all, it was the pride of his people that God took a stand against (Micah 2:3). It was the fundamental problem in Judah (with Jerusalem as the seed bed), and it was rampant in the northern kingdom as well (Samaria being the heart of the problem). In fact, we see throughout the first two chapters of Micah a clear oracle against the pride of these two capital cities.

But it's especially in chapter two that a more complete description of the proud activities that went on in these cities is given. Things like …

• Sinister planning and corrupt use of authority/power (2:1) 
• Wrongful seizure of property and houses (2:2) 
• Deceptive deals and contracts (2:2) 
• Blatant robbery (2:8) 
• Outright lies (2:11) 

For sure, there is some good insight in these verses about pride and how it piles up in our life. Essentially, we need to understand that pride …

1. Is birthed in selfishness,
2. Is often heightened with stuff, and
3. Is usually evidenced by what I say.

The consequence? We’re pulled away from God! Truly, that’s the plague of pride – it piles up in our life and pulls us away from God!

The antidote? Somebody or something needs to flatten the piles of pride around us. That is called humility, and the honor of humility is in this: in the flattening of us and everything around us, we only see God. It loosens our grip. It takes us down. In fact, we should embrace this posture, for we are commanded to “humble ourselves before the Lord” that he may lift us up. Good advice since it is clear that God will if we don’t! Is that scary? Yes. But necessary! So it is “neces-scary!”

This Christmas, embrace humility. Find the flat posture before God. Be content with the escalator down.

Merry CHRISTmas!

What You See Isn't Always What You Get

His name was Michael, and the year was 1993. I was a youth pastor in Georgia, and had heard through a another YP that Michael, who was going to be helping us with a local function, was simply “out-of-this-world” when it comes to youth work. Whatever needed doing, I was informed he would be willing and able.

Immediately my mind started racing, painting pictures of a tall, tanned young man with a muscular build. I imagined him as having the loyalty and love of hundreds of teens, being a fabulous speaker, and driving a sports car. In my mind he was single, rich, and totally satisfied with everything in his ministry. But what we think will be is not always what is.

At our initial meeting, it actually took me several minutes before I finally realized to whom I was talking. This can’t be the same guy I heard about? I thought. Unbelievably, he was not like anything I had imagined. Oh, he was tall, but his arms were lanky. He was a bit overweight, and drove up in a Ford Festiva (out of which he humorously unfolded). He had to live on a budget, watch his diet, and work late. In other words, he was just like me. And you. And most other people. He wasn’t Superman, Batman, or the Hulk. And his wife wasn’t Wonder Woman, either.

Yet, what I had been told was partly true. He did have a super youth ministry, teens who loved him dearly, and a zeal and desire to really make an impact on young people. He did have the things that mattered, the things that count for eternity.

So why did I paint images – false images – of what I thought he would be? Could it be that we are geared to believe that successful people in God’s eyes must first be successful in man’s eyes? What is it that ignites the spirit of God in a man -- appearance, riches, performance? Or rather humility, grace, and submission? I was about to learn.

When the meeting was over Michael and I had a chance to talk and fellowship. And over the next few months we became friends. Since we were ministering in the same community, lunch was a weekly thing for us, as well as local seminars and prayer breakfasts. Over the course of time I came to realize that Michael was just like me (can you believe it?) He had problems just like I did. He had worries just like I did. He fought battles just like I did. He failed just like I did. He was actually human.

Like a speeding train rushing by, the wind of what I had just come to realize blew me away. It’s not the things on the outside that make much difference to God; it’s our heart, and its condition. Being used by God depends not upon our appearance, our talents, or our ability; it depends upon one thing: Our availability. When we make ourselves humbly available, God then has an open door to work in us and through us. Nothing more is required. Nothing less.

Isn’t this the point in I Samuel 16? Remember the story? The prophet Samuel has come to Jesse’s home to anoint the future King. Due to Saul’s disobedience and failure because of pride, Israel was in need of a leader. And so God told Samuel to go to the household of Jesse and he would find the future king there.

Jesse is ready, lining up his sons one by one. From the first to the last, they are there, each positive they will be the chosen one. Samuel comes, and after a close inspection, is puzzled by the fact that none have been chosen. He then asks Jesse if there are any more. And suddenly we have an unbelievable incident occurring before our eyes, a chance to see from God’s perspective what is really important. David is brought in from the field, and God speaks loudly and clearly: “This is the one.” Instead of the older ones, the stronger ones, or the obvious ones, God chose the youngest one, the one that everyone else overlooked. Seemingly, God works that way, doesn’t He? The ones we overlook and disregard are the ones He often looks to as His servants and workers.

The longer I am in the ministry, the more I realize that our human perspective is blurred. Really blurred. We look for talent, beauty, ability, and skill. God looks for willingness, heart, love and submission. When He finds that in a person, regardless of what others say, He will use them mightily. The power of God loves a willing heart in which to explode. No matter what men may say, if we are willing, God can use us. Not because of our talent, but in spite of it. Not because of our greatness, but in spite of it. Truly our greatest ability is availability.

Frankly, what we see isn’t always what we get. What we may see is a small child, a noisy teenager, a restless young person, a distracted, disruptive little brat. But what God sees may be totally different. Be careful not to focus so much on the outside that you miss the potential lying dormant on the inside. In God’s economy, our outward performance and ability are not nearly as important as our inward humility and availability.

REFLECT
1. Can you recall a time when you misinterpreted an outward appearance? How did the initial experience affect you?

2. What we see on the outside can often fool us. Read Acts 8:14-24. Do you think Peter initially believed Simon’s outward intentions?

3. When did you last fall prey to appearance-based judgments, whether positive or negative?
What measuring stick can you use if you can’t “judge a book by its cover?”