CONFIDENCE…There is a downside to becoming a confident person. When we grow in our education and aptitudes a beguiling voice starts sounding…attempting to lure us away from our true source of personal effectiveness. Here is a warning…
“Glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.” ~Phil. 3:4
There is something profoundly unshakable about being dependent upon Christ for our daily strength. Yet there is a need, and even an expectation for us to develop our skills and aptitudes. But when we do, a temptation emerges that wasn’t there before. The temptation to lean on what we’ve learned and the skill-set we’ve developed. All so suddenly the dependency we grasped early in our walk with Christ becomes eclipsed by a new dependency…self development! In the above verse Paul revealed his struggle with these dueling voices that were calling for his allegiance to depend on them. In a moment of unusual candor he stated he had many reasons to lean on himself. He was a highly intelligent and educated man. Further he was deeply devoted and capable of more sacrifice than most. And if that weren’t enough, he had many well-developed aptitudes in leadership and theological reasoning. He was tough, smart & engaged…and he knew it. But Paul had one more thing that some brilliant Christian leaders had somehow overlooked…he had the ability to remember his first dependency…on Christ and Christ alone. Where lay-eth your CONFIDENCE? ~verlon
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Good one V...This will have different meaning depending on the individual....Does this make a statement about trusting the truth of Christ more than understanding of truth in the worldly sense and way?..
ReplyDeleteThe mind can be fooled....God cannot....The "Watchers"(Dark Angels) of this world are adept at the task of confusion....Frankly sometimes we even make it easy..."We/I think !" is the most exploited of the masses venerability's...Propaganda....I used a quote from a Genesis Song awhile back I will give you both lines now...."Like a forest fight for sun light that takes root in every tree: They are pulled up by the magnet believing they are free." ...The easiest way to fool someone is to get them to think it can't possibly be wrong."Sounds right does not always mean right". In a war both sides feel justified and right or there would be no War....Again "The only true fool is one who never knows it." I like how this verse ends" I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.” ~Phil. 3:4"
If we live in the real world guess sometimes we must rely on reason......." Glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, though"....Glory is in the truth, father of it... Jesus Christ...