Sunday, September 22, 2013
just sharing a song that nikki shared during YD that really touched me!
especially learning about the beautiful passage in 1 Corinthians 13, and the talk on pride in YAF really struck me and drove home the message that i think God wanted me to know.
just a summary of what has been shown to me today: that love is not an emotion, it is actions, and i must say it consists of MANY actions. there were so many in the list that i fell short of.. it was just a reminder that if i draw strength from God's love, so many things would come easier, and that spiritual gifts without love is worthless.
then a really great complementary talk by a guest speaker for YAF helped me to see how prideful i really am. We often look at ourselves through our own distorted lenses, but the mirror of the Word is the only thing that can really reveal to us how prideful we really are. Its not like I go around openly telling people what I do for church and outwardly being prideful, but today helped me to realise that pride can be really really (really) subtle! It can slip in even when you have good intentions of correcting a person initially, then suddenly when you come face to face with the person, and become impatient, and it becomes a prideful action of thinking "I am better than you".
I also didnt realise that pride was so dangerous, and thats why it warrants such strong hate from God. It is because the root of pride, is the "me" attitude, putting myself on the throne, and not acknowledging God's sovereignty and providence.
some helpful tips for overcoming pride, is realising AT THE START OF EVERY MORNING that we are wretched, horrible sinners that God chose not only to humble himself to come down to earth to save us, and humble himself even further to the point of death! The Son of God humbled himself, what more we should humble ourselves for His glory. it was a reminder that it is an intentional effort each day to resist the sin of pride, rather that be surprised when it hits you in the head during the course of the day (:
anyway, really blessed by the lyrics of the song (thats why i wrote it all down below), and so many things in it that i can relate to! do give it a listen (:
I could travel over oceans, cross the deserts, climb the mountains
just to share your story, bring you glory, and win souls for you.
I could sing like an angel, songs so humble and so thankful
Full of drama and emotion, so the world would know your truth.
I could give away my money and my clothes and my food
to restore those people who are poor, and lost, and down-and-out.
Oh, I could succeed at all these things,
find favour with peasants and kings,
but if I do not love, I am nothing.
I could live a flawless life,
never cheat of steal or lie,
and always speak so kindly, smile so warmly, and go about doing good.
I could dedicate myself to do what everyone else wants me to-
listen to them, compliment them, say the things I should.
I could show up every Sunday, lead the choir and Bible study
and they all might come to know me as a leader and a friend.
Oh, I could achieve success on earth, but success cannot define my worth
And all these actions, all these words, it will not matter in the end.
Songs will fade to silence,
Stories, they will cease.
The dust will settle, covering all my selfless deeds.
So as I strive to serve you,
won't you make it clear to me,
That if I do not love, I am nothing.
If I cannot live my life loving my brother,
then how can I love the one who lived his life for me?
Sent to earth from heaven,
humble servant, holy king,
come to share a story, get no glory, and save my searching soul.
You knew that I'd deny you, crucify you, but nothing could stop you from
living for me, dying for me, so that I would know-
Songs will fade to silence,
Stories, they will cease.
The dust will settle, covering all my selfless deeds.
But your life here has made it clear enough for me to see
That if I do not love, I am nothing
I am nothing
:`)
avoid the aliens;
12:29 AM
