Confessions of a Relentless Tripper...

Nothing increases your confidence better than knowing that you did well. Knowing that you have performed to the best of your ability gives you the stamina to walk with your head held high. We've all felt it. I was no exception last Thursday. I had studied for over thirty hours for this biology test that I was extremely worried about. It had been looming over my head all week. And I had totally owned it! I walked away thinking, "Wow! That was easy!" I was confident I had gotten my "A" and was feeling mighty proud of myself for succeeding so well in a class that has a 30% drop/fail ratio.

My hubristic moment didn't last for too long however. I walked out the door and about twenty feet later completely kissed the concrete. I was walking with my head so high that I wasn't watching my feet and tripped over a raised part of concrete and completely ate it. Right in front of a ton of people too! My pride was shattered! Actually no, it wasn't that bad. I'm used to falling on my face. Just ask the people I live with- crutches are my most constant companion.

Anyway, after the moment of embarrassment and a quick lunch of endless mockery by my dear roommate I preceded to do my quiet time. My assigned passage to read for the day? Psalm 147:6 "The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground." Nice one God!

But it got me thinking. Sometimes we do get a little too prideful. Okay, not sometimes, a lot of times. For the human race in general pride is a huge issue. And we laugh it off and joke, but it really is no joking matter. Pride is a serious issue. The gospels are constantly pointing out humility as who Christ was in His very nature. Even his birth was humble. From birth to death Christ was the epitome of humility. (Philippians 2:5-8, "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!")

This is such a contrast to pride! And yet we joke it off as only "a little bit of an ego." I think have lost the realization of the power of pride. Meaning, I think they have lost respect for it as something to be cautious against. It is a huge weapon though, that when used has eternal consequences. It doesn't just consist of a battered ego, but can have serious affects upon your soul.

It certainly affected the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-30. I've heard this passage preached on so many times as it is very applicable for the issue of greed. But I think it also applies to pride as well. This man was in a position of extreme power. He was a ruler. That's got to be a little bit of an ego boost. He asked the question, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus responded, ""Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" And what does he immediately say after that? "'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said." Boom! Right there! Pride! Before Jesus tells him to give up everything and follow him. Before the rich man becomes sad and decides not to or to do it. Before all of that, there is pride. And so many times this part is overlooked, because we all tend to focus on greed as the reason it is so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (vs 24). But think about it, it makes sense. We all think of rich people as prideful and arrogant don't we?

Still don't believe that pride is actually a really big deal? Well, then let's go back to the king of pride himself- Satan. Pride is the backbone of why Satan fell. Read about it in Ezekial 28. It says, right there in verse 17, "Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings." This is such a contrast to Christ and His humility! You don't get more opposite than that!

I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to start praying to trip a little more often...

Proverbs 15:33, "The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor."

Confessions of a Dying Breed...

Take a look at your local college campus. What do you see? Do you see people praying openly? Do you see people living by the morals by which God has commanded? Do you see hurt? Do you see abuse? Do you see injustice? Do you see devastation? Do you see the correlation between the lack of the former and the occurrence of the latter?

Indeed, it is like finding a rare jewel when we actually find someone willing openly to admit that they are Christians. Willing to openly discuss Bible study with others. Willing to pray in public. Willing to share their faith. Willing to live out the morals behind it. A spark goes off when such a person is found. We focus in, listening to their conversations. Wishing to be as strong as they are in their faith. They appear almost idolized solely on the basis that they are doing what they were supposed to be doing all along. Preaching Christ's redemption and glory.

Why is this so surprising? Because more and more we see no difference. We don't stand out. Our language, our morals fit right in with the rest of the world. We are lost in the crowd of the thousands rather than being the woman that reached out to the hope that was Jesus and was healed. What happened? We had that at one point didn't we? We experienced the joy and the power of salvation? We had found our way and we were on it.

Father forgive us. We have faltered. We are humans. Insignificant on our own. Desperately in need of grace, which You so freely give. Faltering. Not realizing there is no standard of perfection to be met before we can witness.

Deceit, judgement, abandonment, greed, power hunger, cruelty, eating disorders, suicide, war, homosexuality, abuse, murder, sexual immorality, anger, disease, death, violence, rape, selfishness, injustice. No compassion. No forgiveness. No kindness. No grace. No trust No peace. These are the things which plague the world looking for the cure. Looking for someone to simply outwardly say, "I know the truth! I know Peace! I know kindness! I know grace! I know forgiveness! I know comfort in death! I know the solution to pain! I have it! I'LL NEVER LOOSE IT! Let me show you."

Christians, where are we? Why are WE the dying breed? Why amongst all the cries of desperation and anguish, do we stand silent?

"Lord hear the cries of desperation. The lonely sighs longing for salvation..."

Confessions of a Sinking Dog...

The other day I beheld the strangest thing. There I was watch a movie (a chick flick of the upmost romanticness of course) and my dog, Charlie came, jumped on the sofa, and does what he does best- snuggled up to me. But after a short while he began to sink in the hole in between cushion on the couch so much so that he couldn’t really move when my dad brought out the treats. He struggled and struggled and ended up getting a little assistance to get out of the hole he was in. The whole situation was actually quite humorous.

But then Charlie did it again. After he got his treat he retreated back to the couch to the same spot. And of course I had to help him out again the next time he wanted to move. He’s now done this several times. Anyway, I sat there thinking “dumb dog. Why do you go right back to where you were when you know you’re going to get stuck?” But then the thought hit me. We do the exact same thing.

How many times has God pulled me out of a situation only to find myself right back in it? How many times have I repented and turned myself around only to need to do it again a week later? We do this a lot with God I think. How many times has He said “Rachel. Don’t go down that road. You know what will happen. You know you will sink. Its sin. You have no option but to sink.” And how many times have I responded with “But God, I still want to do it anyway!”?

They say dogs are man’s best friends, but I never thought they would serve as a blatant spiritual analogy.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” (Psalm 40:2)

Confessions of a Bad Guitarist...

It's time for a bit of honesty. When I first started learning the guitar I was actually hoping to be a bit of a prodigy. I know it sounds far fetched, but I thought, "Hey, why not? I'm musical! Piano, flute, saxaphone. And I'm no Susan Boyle, but I'm definitely above a Britney Spears in the shower karaoke department." This idea was furthered when I watched August Rush right after I learned that both of my biological parents were experienced guitarists. Fate, right? Ha ha wrong! Now with that said am I going to give it up? Nah, I love it.

And since we're on the subject, I'm also lousy at chemistry and volleyball. But ya know, that's okay. I have things I'm not good at . You have things you're not good at. But that's why we were created to live in fellowship. We balance each other out! And when it comes to talents, it's not how many you are given, but rather how you use what you are given.

I think this idea as a whole is lost on America. We claim individualism yet we strive to be "well rounded." Now, there is nothing wrong with wanting to try new things, but I think it has too much emphasis to be the best at everything. I mean the IV League schools all want it. it's not enough to just be brainy. Here's my stand on well-roundedness, If I am exactly the same as Susie Q and the 6 billion other people that live on this earth when it comes to talents, then why have them at all? Aren't I just more of a robot.

So, the question remains, even if I have the same exact talents as another person, what sets me apart? This my friends is where the world falls flat, and where Christianity THRIVES. What makes me different? How I use them to serve. Where I'm called. Because the whole point of being talented was never about you anyway. And the really cool thing about God is, even if you absolutely suck at something, you can still be used. Even if its only as a source of entertainment for others. No two masterpieces are ever exactly the same.

So here's to bad volleys and horrible chord strumming. To the talents you don't have, and the ones you do. Present or not, they're all useful.

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 25:14-29)