Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?posts tagged identity
got humility?
Shortly after writing yesterday’s post, I read 1 Peter 3:8: “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” That pretty much covers it, right? If we have these five characteristics, we should not have many people problems. The last one — -a humble mind — -caught my attention.
Pride is the root of offense. It is only when we think something of ourselves that we can be offended. If my sense of self and my security come from and rest in God — -that which is unchanging — -then my sense of self and my security cannot be rocked or shaken by the behavior of others. As my pastor has said, “Dead people don’t get offended.” When I die to myself and find my life hidden in God, I’ve moved to another place where offense can’t touch me…
“What I do is me”
I’ve always been a lover of fiction, and only in the last 3 or 4 years have I come to a place where I can not only teach poetry but also enjoy it. The majority of my students in literature surveys are put off by poetry (as I was, even in grad school), so I have had some hesitation in posting a poem here. 
This summer, I’ve been teaching British and Irish Literature II (which covers the late 1700’s to the present), and I’ve been reacquainted with some poems and poets that I love. In particular I’m drawn to Gerard Manley Hopkins, a Jesuit in Victorian England who wrote so eloquently about his faith. A number of his poems speak to his struggles with doubt, but he has others that celebrate God and creation. “As kingfishers catch fire” has been on my mind since mid-June: when I read it one morning before class, it stunned me (more about why after the poem).
we regard no one…
Over at kendallball.net, Greg has taken John Donne’s “No man is an island” concept and pushed the issue of self- and group definition to consider how the Christian sees himself in relation to the rest of humanity:
In Jesus we are called to be new creations, and perhaps part of this new creation is the cultivation (through certain practices) of the idea that I am a part of the continent of humanity… Maybe then we will shift our focus from ourselves and become builders of peace, seekers of justice, and lovers of all mankind. Those sorts of things just don’t seem possible as long as we’re deriving our self-identity from a source other than our status as children of God and followers of Christ.
I think the Apostle Paul’s teaching about new creation is worth considering here…
just a …
Yesterday, feeling a little flat, I thought I’d find inspiration in a name of Jesus. I have a “Names of Jesus” poster hanging in my office on campus, and occasionally I’ll take one of the names, look at the scripture reference, get the context, and mull it over. I’ve worked my way through about a third, so the next in the list was “Carpenter.”
My first thought was: who put that on the list? Why is carpenter there with Morning Star, Bread of Life, and King of kings? But I looked at the reference anyway…
Reflections on a Christ-centered, grace-filled life. Writer and teacher Dan Butcher's blog takes an eclectic approach to faith.
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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