King Herod never made it to the manger. What held him back? What holds us back?
Tag: self
“But they are deeply guilty for their own strength is their god.” (Habakkuk 1:11 NLT) Self-trust is an idolatry in itself. When my deep inner leanings are propped up my own ability, intellect or problem-solving, I’m actually bowing at the altar of Anna instead of…
Paul reminds us how we’ve received two gifts from God: reconciliation for ourselves and the message of reconciliation to extend to others.
Our individual yet collective quarantine has scarred us deeply. We’ve emerged from our couches and houses even more inward-focused. The Non-Playable-Character paradigm has filtered in to real life. Our increasingly narcissistic society views self as the epic-center of existence and everyone lesser as obstacles to the main objective: leveling up.
When we resist God’s salvation offer, we invite the worst the enemy has to offer into our lives. He sets up ramps against us, readies himself to do battle on every side and sees fit to destroy us completely. But what happens when we surrender first to a loving God and gracious Savior?
Humbling is God’s act of mercy on our behalf. Of course, it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like pain and humiliation. But all that mortification reveals an opportunity for transformation.
How often do we attempt to self-resolve our own stories? We hit hardship and we move into problem-solving mode, often without even looking up, without asking for divine insight or help.
It’s not only a fallen world that infects us with sin, it’s a fallen self.