"When I peruse the titles in a Christian bookstore, I feel like I am the only klutz in the kingdom of God, a spiritual nincompoop lost in a shipful of brilliant biblical thinkers, an ungodly midget in a world of spiritual giants. When I compare my life with the experts', I feel sloppy, unkempt, and messy in the midst of immaculately dressed saints...and I'm a minister. Maybe that's why God allowed me to pastor a church "for people who don't like to go to church." When your "pastor" was kicked out of two Bible colleges, maybe it's easier for people not to be intimidated by some ideal of spirituality." -Mike Yaconelli, Founder of Youth Specialties.
What stood out to me today: Verse 8 says, "To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ."
Why this stood out to me: This verse stood out to me because Paul really did consider himself the least of the apostles. Yet, he wrote most of the New Testament. Paul was incredibly gifted, and if it were not for his obedience, we would not have much of the current Bible. And Christianity would probably not be as wide spread as it is. This position of humility absolutely blows my mind. It also stood out to me because I am reading "Messy Spirituality" by Mike Yaconelli. I read this quote last night before I went to bed, and it really stuck in my mind. I want to emulate this humility so badly, but my pride gets in the way too much!
How this applies to my life: I am a very prideful person. I can pull off the whole humility thing, but that only lasts for a while. I compare, and I put myself in positions of my peers in so many ways. I look at other camps and notice the things Lebanon does a better job of. I look at other Program Directors and compare my spiritual life to theirs and I see myself as more spiritual than they are. How ridiculous does that sound? I feel horrible just saying it, but it the truth and the ugliness of my pride coming out. Every so often I will ask God to humble me, but the lesson never really sticks. So how do I live a life of humility? I need to recognize the grace I have been shown and it is only in that grace I am where I am. I need to constantly keep my thoughts in check and remember that anything in my life can be taken away in the blink of an eye. My life is not about me...it is about God's redemption.
Tomorrow I will be reading Ephesians 3:14-21. I am looking forward to it!
In His service, CrazyPete
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