Relationship Not Rank

More often than not whether intentional or not there seems to be a devise attitude and spirit that can smack of an “us verses them” especially when it comes to this grace exodus that is unfolding all around the world.
Many are being led by the Spirit to venture out and experience so much more than what has been obscured by religious ritualistic rites.
Please here me here, I have no hesitation in believing with all of my heart that at the same time there are those like wise being lead and directed into these religious establishments, not as show room trophies to impress those still ensnared by the matrix of religion but to be an unobtrusive witness to Christ plus nothing.

Just as the leaven of the Pharisees that can totally corrupt as Jesus pointed out, in my opinion there is like wise a ‘holy leaven’ that equally corrupts only this is something that infects and affects on a personal level that impresses others with the invisible God seen through our daily actions.
“Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

There are too many colors and nuances of the multifaceted displays of God’s amazing grace to relegate it to voila, "this is IT" mind set!
One thing I know for sure there is a definite propensity to fraternize and flirt with prideful thinking, but even this is not sufficient to deter us from ultimately going on with God.

The crud that is accomplished out of the energy of fleshly activity does promote and establish a superior rank and status amongst likewise fleshly minding siblings, but this is a moot point in those who are being lead by His spirit, the fruit coming from this leading is an obvious and tangible humility.
I love what my friend William (Bill) Landon has to say about this from his book “The Rise and Fall of Self” (The problem with us is us); “The old ways of thinking and understanding I speak of here are seeing God’s work in us as a means to obtain status, rank or some other worldly gain. This is an example of falling back into thinking in terms of comparison and reputation. If we are unguarded in our living, the work of God in us can be turned against us. If we allow the growth that God is working in us to become an issue of status or comparison we will suffer loss. In this diversion we can let the independent-self turn the great blessing of spiritual maturity into just another issue of legalism and pride.

The truth we need to keep in mind here is that walking with God is never to be an issue of rank or comparison. It is never a question of who is further along than someone else. We are all the children of God. This is the only distinction that matters. If we allow into our lives the kind of thinking that places people in orders of rank then we have fallen into the trap of thinking like the world.

If we are truly surrendered to the process of God’s influence growing in our lives the outcome of that growing will be humility. As we go on with God we should become more and more aware of our smallness. When we do this with God’s leading and resource we will not be diverted into seeing smallness as insignificance or unimportance. We are small compared with God’s greatness but the Father’s love for us makes us the most precious things in this world. This kind of humility is the natural outcome of seeing God’s true power and awesome abilities in ever clearer ways.”

Rich

Do You See What I See

My wife has been getting estimates on window and door replacements. One representative told her his company was best because it was part of an organization assembled for the sole purpose of ensuring that they were all on the same page when it came to window installation. Apparently, only the most respected contractors were invited to share their input. The guy talking to my wife said it was interesting to watch these big-name contractors, all with huge egos, debating and arguing over the course of two days over the best way to install a window, but eventually they hammered out a consensus.

When she shared this with me, I couldn’t help but see me in this story. I began to see once again how very easy it is to forget that Papa is love, and become so focused on seeing only my point of view at the expense of how much more my life could be enriched in (listening) hearing the Father’s heart being expressed through those like me who are growing and learning of His grace as well.

I love this quote from last weeks pod cast with Wayne and Brad from the God Journey pod cast: “Its not because there's conflict, not because people see things differently, it's how we treat people who see things differently.” I do not want to be blinded by my need to have my ego pumped up at the expense of not extending His love that is poured out on me toward others.

Something else that made His heart so evident to me is what my friend Dave shared recently: “I realized that my passion for photography had somewhat faded. At least the passion part. I do really enjoy it but I concluded that I would have more enjoyed knowing those people. That feeling out of place was a sense that if I joined that club it would be a knowing one another only after the photography (after the flesh, perhaps).”

I realize I am quoting several different ones here, but the combined pieces make up such a living mosaic it’s hard to know when to stop when so much life is hitting you between the eyes. Here is something from a wonderful friend I am just beginning to know, Amy over at Walking in the Spirit.

What is becoming so real, so breath taking to me, is in seeing and hearing how so many of His sons and daughters are being brought into a vibrant, thriving, living encounter with the Father of their spirit, and the kicker is, it’s being done without the aid of any mediator other than the man Christ Jesus!

If we own nothing, then there is nothing to defend, and nothing to loose.

Rich