Food for thought

" One thing thou lackest...come, take up the cross and follow Me." Mark 10:21

One thing, One thing! less of me, more of you. one thing thou lackest...are stinging words and they are true but it never ceases to amaze me that well-meaning Christians, preachers, friends, parents, family, find it their responsibility to drive this home to us in a thundering,debilitating way. It only leaves the recipients downhearted and discouraged. You rarely see the recipient join in the bashing of themselves. We retreat to the corner to lick our wounds. Oswald Chambers said " If I feel I have done my duty and yet in the process I have hurt someone in doing so , you can be sure it was not my duty, for it did not foster the meek and quiet spirit but the spirit of self satisfaction." Oswald also said " If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on your own way, certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are , it is an indication that there are whole tracts of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze." 2 timothy 3:16&17 " All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequately equipped for every good work." My pastor doesn't insist or rant and rave, he teaches with a humble spirit for which I'm so thankful. And I find myself wanting to posses this humility also. What kind of example are we giving? Are we more concerned that we win people to our way of thinking or are we more concerned with following after Christ. One will shine a light and the other will not. It takes the discipline of taking all thoughts captive, which is conscious at first and one day becomes who we are. One thing thou lackest, we will indeed look like Christ when we lack no more. How can we so arrogantly condemn others when we ourselves are found lacking. It is intimate and between you and God alone. We all lack but in our humility we go to Christ Jesus to be transformed by the renewing of our mind in the word of God. A humbled soul never insists on people agreeing to his point of view, and people are drawn to a humble soul, hungry for the love of Christ. Thundering self righteousness is never right. Do they know we are Christians by our love?

Heavenly Father humble us in your mercy who love you, let us see with your eyes. Let us feel what you feel, root out the arrogance that seeks to destroy us. Let us walk as you walk. Your footsteps we pray to follow , In Jesus Christ our Savior's name, Amen.

Love to all in Christ Jesus. C:)