Coffee With The Lord

I was participating in a gathering of Christian leaders and my anger and frustration were mounting.  The conversations had been about how to better do the Lord’s work.  But there were a couple of participants in the group that were dominating the conversation and it was clear they were using the opportunity for self-promotion!  Every time they chimed in it seemed like everything they said seemed to be about them.  It seemed clear they wanted to be thought of as the most experienced, the best informed, the most intelligent and talented in the group.  I left the circle of conversation disgusted and angry… and I was not alone, the comments of others who were there read the signals the same way… They were very much into self-promotion!

Then I went home and experienced the Lord’s conviction… It seemed like the Lord whispered to my heart as I stewed over the previous experience… “LeRoy, have you ever been guilty of the yielding to the temptation to subtle self-promotion?  Have you ever forgotten about exalting Me and shifted the focus to yourself – your opinions, your perspective, your gifts, your abilities, your wisdom, your agenda?”  Ouch!  That hurt!  But I had to admit to the Lord that I’d been guilty!

I’m not talking about self-respect here… self-respect is a healthy thing and is anchored in our awareness that we are God’s creation, God’s child, and have something we can contribute to the cause of Christ and meeting the needs of others with the gifts and abilities God has given us…

In my Bible reading this morning during “coffee with the Lord” I was reminded of the great example John the Baptist provides for us all and the important principle his words teach us…

Some of the followers of John approached him one day and tried to pit him against Jesus… They said to him “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness – look, he is baptizing and all are going to him!” (Temptation for competition and self-promotion enter right there!  John could have yielded to it – but he didn’t… He knew who Jesus was!)  Instead John resisted and taught all of us who follow Jesus and serve Him a great lesson…

“John answered, ‘a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven!  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ (in other words he understood who Christ was and who he was… He had a healthy understanding of his role – in fact he referred to himself in the passage simply as “the friend of the bridegroom.”)  Then John declared an important principle and he taught us an important lesson by his example… HE DECLARED, “HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE!” (from John 3:25-30)

Oh, I’ve got to tell you; I want to overcome the tendency – the temptation – to self-promotion!  I want to live a Christ promoting, Christ exalting life!  Don’t you?  In the inspired words of John… “HE MUST INCREASE – I MUST DECREASE!”

I’ve run a few marathons (26.2 miles) and a lot of 10Ks (6.2 miles).  Let me tell you something… If you have not “put in the miles” ahead of time – in training and in preparation for the road race – if you have not “hardened your legs” to the distance, when they day of the race comes the distance and the road will let you know whether or not you’ve adequately trained!  How do I know that?  I’ve experienced the pain, the frustration, the disappointment of not being able to finish!  The lesson?  Put in the miles!  Don’t let anything stand in the way of adequate training!  Get up early, prioritize your training schedule, do whatever you have to in order to finish strong!

Thought of that this morning as I read these words from 1 Timothy 4 (Apostle Paul’s challenge to young Timothy…)

“Train to be godly!  For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, holding promise for the present life and also for the life to come!” (from 1 Timothy 4:7-8)

Gotta tell you, I desperately want to be able to say what Apostle Paul did as he approached the finish line of his “life course”…“I have fought a good fight!  I have finished the race!  I have kept the faith!  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day – and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Somehow I think Apostle Paul had run a road race or two!  Just say’n… HEY, I WANT TO FINISH STRONG!

Proverbs 3:1-12, for me, expresses several key life-principles that have guided my life over the years.  I read them over again this morning with relish.  I would have to say these are core concepts that I have personally embraced – they have made all the difference in the quality of my daily life.  Each comes with a wonderful promise or assurance.  I highly recommend them!  Here is a fresh personal statement of those principles…

1.  Don’t forget the reliable life-lessons you been taught by the key influencers in your life (especially godly parents)!  What they have invested in you will adorn and distinguish your life.

2.  Embrace and live out your covenant relationships with devotion and faithfulness!  God will honor you… and so with others.

3.  Trust in the Lord completely – don’t try to run your own life.  The Lord will smooth out your path and work out all the details.

4.  Reverence the Lord and live out that reverence humbly.  It is the healthy way to live and you discover fresh vitality in your life.

5.  Honor the Lord with your possessions.  He promises to prosper you!

6.  Accept your Heavenly Father’s discipline.  It is a sign that he cares about you – that he deeply loves you and you’re his child.

Take it from me… this passage is worth committing to memory!