[The Glory Unveiled]
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ( Luke 18:11 NIV)
The habit of thinking ourselves better than others on the merit of a standard we created ourselves is a negative one. People measure their righteousness and godliness by how others live their lives. And if they feel they are doing “better than” those other people, they are okay with themselves. Or if they think they are doing better than they used to do, then they are good. But we or other people are not the standard of righteousness or life. Jesus is. In God’s eyes, there is no comparative standard. His standard is absolute. In our anchor text, we see a Pharisee praying to God and comparing himself with a tax collector. The Pharisee was trying to present himself to God as better than someone he thought was worse than himself. Meanwhile, he didn’t use God’s standard of measurement for the comparison. And because he was doing well in his own eyes, he was arrogant. But then, the ways of God are not our ways and His thoughts are not like ours. He does not operate with the “better than” standard. He works with the “as Christ” standard. So that anything and everything that falls short of Christ, no matter how brilliant it is, falls below the standard of God. Don’t measure yourself by the standard of being better than others or than you used to be. Measure yourself by the standard of God, asking for grace to look like His Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer_Bead: Father, thank you for your standard for all of humanity. Help me to live by them. In Jesus’ name.
Wisdom_Quote: The standard of God is Jesus Christ.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Inner Identity
[The Glory Unveiled]
As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. (Proverbs 27:19 KJV )
In the world of your mind, who are you? The mind is a realm of an alternate reality that shapes our physical reality. It serves as the backend of the coding of our lives, while the frontend is how we live and interact in the world. What happens behind the scenes in our hearts drives what happens on the frontend—the stage of our lives. Therefore, we cannot change what happens on the stage without first adjusting the settings that create those outcomes. Often, we focus on addressing people’s actions, attempting to change their behaviour, rather than addressing the root cause—the underlying factors that drive their actions. In reality, people are merely expressing who they are in the world of their minds. Unless they redefine their identity within their mental world, they cannot transform who they are in the physical world. This side of reality acts as a mirror, reflecting what exists on the other side. The scripture says that just as water reflects the face of the person staring into it, so a man’s heart reflects who he truly is. If you don’t like the face you see in the mirror, don’t get angry at the mirror or attempt to alter the reflection itself. The mirror only reveals what is placed before it. Instead, deal with what stands before the mirror. Similarly, if you don’t like who you or someone else is, focus on changing the posture of the heart, and the external reality will follow suit. A person moves in the direction their heart leads. Guide your heart, and your life will be guided accordingly.
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for the world of my heart. Help me to submit to you in all things. Amen.
Wisdom_Quote: A man is not different from the identity they have in their hearts.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.
Careful who
[The Glory Unveiled]
Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. ( Matthew 7:6 NIV)
The value of a thing is its worth in the eyes of its owner. The value of humanity is our worth before our Creator. God created us in His own image and likeness—that is what we are worth to Him. He values us as Himself. We can also discern our worth to God by how He treats and handles us. The way people handle their possessions speaks volumes about the value they place on them. God has demonstrated His unconditional love for us from the beginning. Even when we sinned, He didn’t give up on us; He still loved us. Our anchor scripture says we should not give dogs what is sacred or throw our pearls to pigs. It warns that if you do, they will trample them underfoot and turn to harm you. Figuratively speaking, a dog can symbolize an immoral person, while a pig represents an unholy person. This implies that we are not to give what is sacred or precious to those who cannot appreciate its value. They cannot relate to it as we do. They do not belong to the same realm, and therefore, they cannot truly connect with us. In other words, do not sacrifice your righteousness on the altar of sexual immorality and ungodliness. Be cautious about who you align yourself with and to whom you entrust your precious things—your visions and ideas. Only someone from your spiritual tribe can understand and value the pearls you share with them. Be mindful of who you cast your pearls to. Do they see value in what you value?
Prayer_Bead: Lord Jesus, thank you for showing me my kind and tribe. Help me to associate with godly people. Amen.
Wisdom_Quote: A pig cannot see any value in pearls.
#GNews: Unveiling the glory of God.