Several weeks ago, a friend and I went to apply for our passports. One of the steps in that process was to get the dreaded "passport photo". After reading the extensive specifications for the passport photo -
- In color
- 2 x 2 inches in size
- Printed on thin, photo-quality paper
- Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
- Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
- Between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
- Taken in normal street attire:
My friend and I decided to go to Walgreens to have the photo taken. We took turns - trying not to feel self-conscious. It felt much akin to when you're at the DMV, and the friendly employee (who hates her job so much she's spent the last 20 years doing it) takes your photo. It's like every eye is on you - at this horrible moment when you have to decide whether or not to smile, because every conscientious cashier and ambitious state trooper you come across in the next 4 years is going to be looking at it and you and it again. Which me do I want them to see? No nonsense? Serious and responsible? Friendly and happy? Innocent? Clueless? They never seem to question whether or not that photo is me, but whenever I glance at it (sidelong), I question whether or not it is me.
Back to Walgreens - when the moment of truth came - the printing of the photos - my friend held her photo up to me, looked at me with dismay, and stated the question that was also on my own mind with regard to my photo. "Do I really look like this?" I didn't say much, as she looked at mine and said, "That looks exactly like you, but do I really look like this?" Well, she had answered my question... stab, stab. Then she answered her own with a deep sigh, "Well, I guess I must."
It reminded me of some of some of the other times when my pride has been wounded - even broken. Some people are conceited. Other people are plagued with "low self-esteem", but I imagine it is two sides of the same coin. After all, if I don't think - somewhere down deep - that I deserve to esteem myself highly ("I am pretty great, why don't other people see that?), I wouldn't realize that I don't or find anything wrong with the fact that I don't esteem myself as much as I "should".
Small or great, my humbling experiences have been the most important of my life. This is for two reasons. Until I realize that I am not as great as I think I am, I will be of little use to anyone else. Secondly, being humbled helps me to realize that I am a legitimate child of God. After all, if I am self-sufficient, self-reliant, self-involved, there is little room for a deity. There is little need for one. We've all heard songs, mantras, talk shows that encourage us to just "love ourselves" a little more. As if that would solve all our problems. Pamper yourself... you deserve it. In fact, I have almost abandoned the greeting card industry altogether. Am I the only one who notices that all the cards are about "me"? These are the ones along the lines of "Mom (or insert any other person for whom you could possibly buy a card), you've always been there for me, loved me, and supported me. And since I'm such a great person, you must be pretty special too. Thanks for believing in me." I usually have to pick up 5 or 6 cards before I finally find one that is just simply about the person for whom the card is being sought. In fact, if we all loved ourselves a little less, there would be a lot less crime, poverty, anger, and just about any other vice I could name.
Hebrews 12:4-13 assures us, in fact, that God disciplines His children. In fact, it assures us that if we have not been disciplined by God, we are almost surely not really his children at all. I think His most effective way of disciplining His children is through leveling our own self-love.
James 4:10 says, "10Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."
1 Peter 5:6 says, "6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,"
These verses seem to indicate that God would like for us to choose - of our own volition - to be humble. However, if we should choose not to do so or find it too difficult, God would be glad to help us with it.
According to Jesus, Matthew 23:12, says, 12"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."
In other words, there is no use for prideful people in God's economy - only for those who have a true sense of their own unworthiness. A friend of mine, "Carl", moved here from Mexico to marry his wife several years ago. He once reflected on the event in a way I'll never forget. He said that he had come to the USA with an idea that God wanted him to evangelize - be a "missionary" to the USA. Carl told God, "God, whatever you need me to do there, I'll do it. Just let me know what you need me to do." He told of how, not long after he arrived here, he was treated like a "second class citizen". He said that he had been faced with, among other things, racist remarks and people who asked him if he'd mow their lawn for ten dollars. He said that these things caused him to long for his home in Mexico - where he was respected and admired. He said it was then that he realized that God had put him in the USA, not because it was where God needed Carl most, but because God knew it was where Carl would most need Him. This was a revelation that changed his life from one of pride to humility.
I doubt that the Apostle Paul invented the run-on sentence, but he may have perfected it. In 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, he says, "4I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,
5that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,
6even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,
7so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The important part of this run-on sentence, to me, is the last part. You see, the day I read it in my devotions was the same day my passport arrived in the mail. It made me think of my passport... which are basically my credentials or qualifications or "worthiness", if you will, for travel abroad. It is my identification. My credentials for getting into heaven are worthless. No matter what I do - no kind action, no volunteer work, no "good behavior" would overcome the fact that I was born a sinner and can't keep from sinning. But God doesn't care about my credentials, because, according to verse 8 above, it is Christ who confirms me. He, in affect, hands His own passport/ credentials (perfection and completion achieved through death) to God and says that I'm worthy of entry... not just into the fullness of eternity future - but the fullness and beauty of fellowship with Him on earth - in eternity present. This is an exclusive "club" for the humble, and, in case you misplaced your humility, you're in luck. God has spare smack-downs, just in case you have need of them. After all, God's wisdom is foolishness to those who are perishing in their sin.
Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:3-8 3 "I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
4and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,5so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
6Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
7but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
8the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;"
The key to the passage I read tonight in 1 Corinthians 2 was this: 12"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God..."
I love to look at my engagement/wedding ring. I don't care if others see it. I like to look at it, because I know that my husband gave it to me during a time when it felt like no one else wanted me. In that humiliating time of my life, that ring was more than just a pretty piece of jewelry. It was proof that my husband-to-be wanted me (and my daughters) to be his own. That he wanted to take care of us and rescue us from our humble situation. Ephesians 1:13-14 says that God left us the Holy Spirit as a "seal" and "pledge" - kind of like an engagement ring - to remind us of our inheritance, assure us of our redemption, and show to ourselves and the world that we are God's possession. 1 Cor. 2:12 above basically says that we are given the Holy Spirit so that we can know the things God has given us. If you've ever gotten an owner's manual you didn't read or checked the box that says, "I have read and agree to all these terms and conditions" - having not read them at all, you're in good company. I imagine we've all done those things. Do you remember the old American Express slogan, "Membership has its privileges"? How much good would those privileges do you if you don't know what they are? The Holy Spirit is the One through Whom we gain knowledge of the "privileges" that are granted to us by God in Christ. Unfortunately, most of us never read the owner's manual unless something goes wrong. We never try to figure out what we're entitled to until we suspect we're not getting it. God desires that resource to be our life's breath - the source of our worth. The Holy Spirit is not only our engagement ring, He is our guarantee of benefits gained for us by Jesus' sacrifice.
Paul expresses his desire, in 1 Corinthians 2:5, that our faith "not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." Too often, we rely on the good advice, the sermon, the blog... and not receive the faith that is only imparted by the power of God at work. That is most easily seen in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10) which is achieved through our humility. Until we realize that it is only Jesus' worth that gives us worth, we will walk in uselessness.
Bottom line? Humility achieves greater faith. When I ask the Lord for more faith, I will be humbled so that He may be glorified - His power seen more fully. If you find yourself in humbling circumstances today, embrace it, and rest assured it will achieve in you greater faith and be glad that is proves that you are a true child of your Heavenly Father. So embrace that scanned photo of your 8th grade graduation that got tagged and put on facebook. It'll bring you closer to God.
