Words That Hurt

9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18: 9 - 14 NKJV

Thank God I'm not like THAT guy!  There I was in line at a locla store as I looked down upon some guy who came in wearing dirty clothes and digging in his pockets for enough change to but a pack of cigarettes.  It never occured to me in the heat of the moment that maybe this man was in the middle of the struggle of his life.  Then again, how many times have I been that recepient of anothers harsh words?  I've lost count.  This week, Wayne Jacobsen and his sidekick debated as to just why it seems that our culture, our society is full of far too many people who ridicule, insult and otherwise make others feel like garbage.  Hey, newsflash Wayne, this culture of uncivility is nothing new to the human race.  So, Wayne, how many times have you yourself talked down to someone huh?  My point is, like my own experiences, we have all at one point or another have used our own words to cause harm to others.  James refers to ones tongue as full of deadly poison {James 3:8}.  So, with more than a few scriptural references to pride and our untamable tongues, our own bad behaviors is suddenly news to Wayne Jacobsen?  Come on, man.  One of the reasons I have given up watching any type of evening news program is simply because of the fact that not only are they one sided and biased, but full of harsh words as well.  So, what is it that makes us think that this world which our heavenly Father created suddenly revolves around us?  I'll tell you what, pride.  Or, more specifically, that belief that we ourselves are in charge of all that surrounds us in this world.  Our small group has taken to refering to this as the independent self, and it's a lie perpetrated by satan {Genesis 3:4-5}.  We do well to remember that our heavenly Father is indeed that creator of all which we see, including ourselves {Genesis 2:7}.  So tell me, if we ourselves are created beings, how is it that we can entertain the thought that we are the least bit independent from He who created us?  Yet the lie lives on in many christians today.

9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 3: 9 -11 NKJV

Walk into any sunday sermon and I'm sure that you will hear such catch phrases as, "Be more like Jesus, get closer to Him' and "what would Jesus do?"  Each one of these statements might give someone the idea that they were all alone in this life and that God was far removed from our lives.  One might get that idea, if one did not know the very truth of Christ Jesus that we have today.  That is, that it is we ourselves who no longer live, but that Christ lives in us {Galations 2:20}.  This very fact flies right in the face of that lie which the enemy has perpetrated from the begining.  How is it that, if Christ lives through us today, that we need to be more like Him?  How is it that we need to get closer to Him?  Far too few christians today live with that confidence that they are but vessels by which Jesus lives through us.  I would venture to bet that if more people knew their true identities in Jesus that the local pulpit pounders would become less important.  Oh, we couldn't have that could we?  So it is that we dutifully march into church each and every sunday to listen to someone who more often than not is himself a slave to the belief of the independent self tell us that we need to get closer to God.  Does anyone but me see a issue with this?  Yet we wonder why it is that many are so uncivil to those around them.  That happens when we see ourselves as more important than others around us.  Needless to say, we need more "He" and less "me."

20“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galations 2:20 NKJV

~Scott~