viewoutsidethepew

God does not need you to defend the faith. God asks only that you exercise the faith given to you.

For example, in the years since I have been blogging (writing and reading) I have engaged with other bloggers. Sometimes they inspire and stand on firm ground, Occasionally I have a question about something they wrote. Over the years most respond, often aggressively or with some level of contempt, that I question their “God-given statement”.

Such a reaction does not come from someone dead to self, but from that human obsession to be right, god-like (above error). Sometimes the point I make is sound, and on occasion the blogger revises their article. At other times the dialogue degenerates into war. I have actually had to abandon my connection with a writer whose obsession with a doctrine supersedes servanthood. Sad, but true. Sometimes I have misread a point and it is I who have to apologize and revise.

But why is the first response to defend self rather than deepen the connection we have with others? If our point is more important than a person, our point is likely invalid.

Our ego is damaged if someone finds a flaw in our argument. We want to claim that we are so close to God (closer than others) that we could not possibly be off track a little.

What I write only has worth when God is glorified more than I am. If what I write brings me to ridicule or battle a believer, I am not dead to self.

Neither you nor I speak for God (except in the case of a prophetic utterance/vision). GOD speaks for GOD! That God uses my fingers or my voice does not justify my owning it as though I thought it up.

I died to self, so how can I take it personally when someone questions, challenges or simply needs clarification of something I wrote? Could the question come from God to make us better, or our writing better?

I feel a sense of satisfaction when a blog article comes together. How arrogant! If I stand at the foot of my cross my deep satisfaction comes when Paraclete is at work: proclaiming, correcting, rebuking and inspiring.

“However, the helper [Paraclete], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you” (John 14:26 God’s Word©).

“[Paraclete] will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it. He will convict the world of sin, because people don’t believe in me. He will show the world what has God’s approval, because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. He will convince the world that God judges it, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:8-11 God’s Word©).