Pride
MUSIC BLOG
11-07-2024
PRIDE
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
This week, I had the privilege of attending the North Carolina Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Greensboro, NC. Ronda and I usually go up on Sunday evening and begin the meeting with the Pastor’s conference. Bryant Wright was the keynote speaker, and he did not disappoint. His sermon challenged us not only to disciple the brethren but also to evangelize the lost. His warning was for those churches that are primarily focusing on discipleship. This was a timely reminder for me.
The following morning, I got up, dressed in the dark, and left the room on a coffee search. As I passed the restaurant, I noticed a pastor dressed in gym clothes helping himself to the coffee at the hostess stand. As he attempted to fill his cup, the dregs of the pot only half filled his cup. The pastor also used the last to-go cup. So, as we both waited for the coffee and cups we exchanged pleasantries. I discovered that the church that he served was one of the largest in our state with multiple sites and that a dear friend of mine from seminary was one of his staff members. You could tell from his terseness that he had things on his mind. He looked over my head when he spoke. I felt invisible. He told me to enjoy the coffee and left.
I filled my cups, paid for the coffee, and took a seat nearby to read my bible. While reading the psalm for the day I came across this verse, Psalms 119:141 “Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.” I had just seen this verse played out in real time before my eyes. The pastor was not interested in a conversation with me, I later discovered, because he was to be one of the speakers in the next session of the Pastor’s conference. I am sure that he was trying to formulate His words even during his workout and coffee run. I was reminded that Jesus often felt lowly and despised. Philippians 2 describes Him a being lowly in heart, humble, therefore God exalted Him. If we are to follow Christ we must have this same frame of mind.
Being humble comes at a cost. It means we are not the focus of attention. That is more of a challenge for some than for others! It also means that our perception of life, our circumstances, and our feelings should not be the primary focus of our lives. When we make God number one in our lives, that enthronement requires a dethronement. His perception, His working in our circumstances, and His feelings trump every other thing. It’s a very different concept and one that challenges me to my very core. Just as John the Baptist realized that he must decrease, so must I decrease for Him to increase.
I am not the shiny new coin. I have some dinginess and some tarnish on me. I’ve been around the block and the things that life has taught me to value don’t always resonate in the minds of most pastors or churchgoers. There are some things that as one ages, they let go of. Take fashion trends for example. In my earlier years, I wore fashionable shoes and trendy attire that I could afford. Today, my footwear is marked by comfort. I try to wear clothes that fit. I’m a far cry from my younger self. Churches and pastors like Shiny. Our congregation just spent a lot of time and money to redecorate our sanctuary and children’s areas. A former church that I served in is focusing a lot of time, energy, and money on doing the same. These are important considerations in our culture. At the same time, there is much to gain from age and experience, I get that. I’m not debating either way as the best way to go forward. I think the thing God was trying to tell me was that He will use whatever and whomever He chooses. The world may not highly esteem God’s choice and may despise His choice. They did Jesus, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Paul, Peter, all the disciples, and the list goes on. If God is to use us, it is not because of us but always because of Him. Let God use you and let the world be confounded. After all, God is still on His throne, in the universe, and in my heart.
Blessings,
Marty