13-Jan
2008
Sunday School Class Proverbs 26:22-28
gossip, hate, hidden agenda's etc.
Scripture
Sunday evening Vesper's @ 5 p.m. 'Going Away' party for Daniel Ruiz (in the fellowship hall)
Wednesday @ 7 p.m. Our Wednesday evening class - a new series on Personal Leadership Roles and Responsibilities - and
how it affects family dynamics. This Wednesday we look at “Pay attention! Get
to know them.”
I am irritated by my harshness, my
irritability, and my entitled-ness.
Phil 2.1-13
1. If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, 2. then make my joy
complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and
purpose.
3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the
interests of others. 5. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus:
6. Who, being in
very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7. but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
9. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and
gave him the name that is above every name, 10. that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under
the earth, 11. and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always
obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to
work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13. for
it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Can we throw in a
couple more verses? Just to stir things up a bit more?
14. Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15. so that you may become
blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved
generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
I am
irritated by my harshness, my irritability, and my entitled-ness.
Why do Christians 'wake up on
the wrong side of the bed?'
Okay, more specifically since this is my confession, why do I seem to
have times when I'm 'out of sorts' and I don't have a clue why? Why am I irritated, grouchy,
touchy, hard-to-get-along-with and in general just a jerk? (You don't
need to check with Jean about this...don't get her started.)
I've been disturbed about a particular passage of scripture - Philippians
2:1-13. Let me share with you just one of those disturbing verses: 4. Each
of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others.
My problem? It’s all about ‘my’ interests.
If you go on down through those verses you will see that it’s also a thing
about me wanting ‘equality’ or at least equity coming my way.
It’s also a lack of love,
tenderness and compassion.
Me? Lacking love, tenderness and compassion?
Yes, whenever I'm in one of those frequent funks it is all about me - my
interests, my desire to be 'appreciated,' my failures in exercising the
profound basics of relationships found in this second chapter of Philippians,
and in I Corinthians chapter 13, and in Galatians chapter 5, and in the Sermon
on the Mount...need I go on?
Let’s take a look at I Corinthians 13…
Shall we take a peek at Galatians 5?
I find that being this way is very irritating...and not just to me. My bad attitude isn't endearing to
others, either. I guess I need to take to heart the 'tender'
admonishment - "Get over it!" There are other phrases, too: "Who
died and made you king?" or, "Who told you you're so special?"