Wonder Part 3

Yesterday I left you with this question:

                                                         Where am I in this parable?  

What I have learned, through all these years as a Pastor, is that it is very  difficult impossible as a matter of fact to fool God.  

And, in my simple reality, God is only impressed with what I do or say that truly honors him.

As I am writing all of this a saying of my mom’s comes to mind: “Don’t insult my intelligence by lying to me!”

God wants total honestly, genuine conversation with us.

What follows from that is God’s desire, in my perception of course, that we continue an honest posture and  conversation by living out our lives in genuine attempts to honor others in God’s name.  

God's Name,   

                   not our own names.

We do this by focusing on how God would have us think, feel and act.  By focusing on how God would speak to, and treat, our fellow sinners.  

Now that is tricky. Focusing on the way we think — think — about God is tricky. 

Tricky  because our understanding and God’s understanding, according to what scripture and Jesus tell us,  are very, very, very different!  “As far as the East is from the West.”(Ps. 103:12)

However, what occurs to me is that we actually have been told how to focus on God/Jesus’ ways.  Paul tells us clearly, in Philippians 2, how God chose to live, work, speak, act and relate to others. 

It goes like this;  by emptying himself of all power and authority.  By becoming like the tax collector with no list of accomplishments, no position, no authority, no honor.  

EMPTY — that is, not full of ourselves. 

The Pharisee was full of himself.

   

The tax collector was not.

I invite you to really think about that. 

Being “empty” void of all prideful identification to feed our ego and importance before others.
                     Our bucket turned up-side-down — drained.

An extremely powerful concept.  

Now, if we truly think about that, it can make some good sense.  Because, when we are void/empty of all our self importance, all our thoughts and opinions, with all of our stuff gone.  Then we are able to be filled.  Filled with God’s hope for us.

When we are full of ourselves there is no room for God to work within us.  No space for different.  Different opinions, or points of views.  

No space for change or growth or possibility.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. (Phil. 2)