Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
-Philippians 2:1-11
The majority of this verse is my husband's favorite passage in Scripture. Quite frankly, even though it is boldly hanging above our living room mantle, I don't think it has ever struck me as deep as it has this past week.
The GOSPEL. It is the very cornerstone of the faith of a Christian, correct? The Gospel message should be our only hope. In essence our lives should emulate a working gospel, if in fact that is what we believe.
Yet as of late, I frequently find myself amidst deep Christian-driven situations in which the gospel is absent, or perhaps present yet only a partial part of the picture. What?! Why?
The big scandal this week was the Duggar family and their eldest son's childhood sins. The world has been waiting to devour the Duggars at their first hiccup. Someone finally dug deep enough and far enough back to uncover the very thing that led this young boy to the knowledge of his depravity, and thusly uncovered his desperate need for a Savior. After all the facts were established from the accusers AND the accused, I waited to hear the response of the family. I felt that this would be the hour of hours to assert the message of the gospel. And they did, in part. But only in part. No one mentioned the name of Jesus. Josh called his actions inexcusable, and the parents cited their shock at their sons behavior, that they thought they had raised him better than that, but no one asserted the message of the gospel in the power of the name of Jesus.
And that was where I felt the most disappointment. Josh could've come out saying "Everyone THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED I NEEDED JESUS!!!! I NEEDED JESUS!!!! Even though I was raised with all the 'right' behavior modifications, and the best rules, and love and support (that the whole world makes fun of and calls us freaks over)- I NEEDED JESUS! AND I STILL NEED JESUS! Today MORE THAN EVER!"
And then for Michelle and Jim Bob, shock? Why are you shocked that your kids are sinners? Isn't that what you need saving from? Your SIN?! Sure, I believe that they were shocked at what the actual sin was, but to be shocked that your child sinned, even to that depth, is all the more reason to reexamine and promote your desperate need for a Savior.
We are huge Duggar fans here, so this isn't an attempt to wound them further, but I am admitting my sadness over the public statements that were issued. This is why it is so important to RIGHTLY understand THE GOSPEL.
And that's what my heart consistently grieves over in the Christian culture. Every time I see the emphasis being on a set of "things we can do" or "cliches to remember", I feel saddened that we have forgotten the basics. We cheapen ourselves to a worldly system with a cute little "Christ bow" on it, and we defame Him. We take His glory. We miss the gospel message.
Do you think you are so holy? "But for the grace of God there go you." (1 Corinthians 15:10) And that grace was COSTLY. It costs Christ HIS VERY LIFE. Please don't forget the reverence that He is due.
Marriage trouble? Well what does the Bible say? Above, it points out that Christ humbled himself to the point of death. And that HIS MIND was to be lowly.
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..."
Stop elevating your needs above your spouse. Stop trying to "self help" yourself into oblivion. Stop trying to make it be about YOU, and make it be more about HIM. Jesus! When you are doing all of your feeling, pick up your Bible and ask the Lord to show you in Scripture what HE THINKS. Let Him show you what you *ought* to be feeling. Get on your knees and ask for lowliness of mind, for a humble spirit, the very mind of Christ Jesus.
If we truly have received the mind of Christ, why are we not less selfish?
It's because we are worldly. Our world is fueled by self promotion. This is the essence of success. But what arena are you succeeding in? What arena really matters? Feed your Spirit, not your flesh. The Bible reminds us not to fear man, not to fear those that can kill the body, but to fear the One that can kill your soul. (Gal 1:10, Matt 10:28)
Do you want to be a better friend? Consider others better than yourself. How about a better roommate? Ask the Lord to prompt you in your spirit that you are LESS THAN. The very essence of life led by the King of glory is one in which every bit of you yearns to glorify HIM, and not yourself. You can't will yourself to do that, so when you pray that way, when you ask to be that, The Lord will change you. He will give you that. But He only goes until you say "Stop."
Don't say "Stop."
In pain, in hardship, the well grows deeper, the water cooler and sweeter, and the wisdom from Him paints the very depths of what it means to abide. Your filter changes, your needs change, your desires change, it all changes.
It's funny because in the midst of all these failed attempts to preach a glorified an unadulterated gospel, the Lord is moving deeply and profoundly in the lives of one of my dearest friends. Her life is falling apart, to be put back for Christ. And as I see all the outward "shows" of being "good Christians" around me, I find that the place that looks the messiest: her life: is being lived for Christ the most. Her eyes are open, she has ears to hear. It gives me chills and makes my heart race to hear the glorious things that God is doing daily, even hourly, in her situation. I'm humbled that the Lord is allowing me to be ENCOURAGED by His might in the midst of sorrow. It's just beautiful, and a testimony that will encourage many for years and years to come.
You know what this is? Americans, people, can smell a phony from a mile away. We want AUTHENTICITY. Desperately. We desperately want the power of God, and to see Him move and be real. Non Christians want it just as much as professing believers. Let's be authentic in our need for the gospel, yes? People want the truth so badly because it is a reflection of our Creator in us. "God desires truth in the innermost parts" (Psalm 51:6) and "He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."(James 4:6) That yearning in you is God given.
In our family, we seek to center ourselves around the gospel of Jesus. ALL OF US. And for Jonathan and I to lead by example in that, we need to run the hardest after it. Our children should have to chase down the gospel themselves in order to understand why their parents live the way they do. "Oh Jesus, help me grow in this more. Help me be more like you. Not by my might, not by my power, but by YOUR SPIRIT Oh Lord."
-Sarah
