Skip to main content

I Am Not

             But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

God said this about Eliab, David’s oldest brother. David was so little thought of that his father didn’t even call him to join the family either for this important social engagement (dinner with the Seer!) or for the requested review of his children to be made by the same prophet. While Joseph was given a coat of many colors, David may not have been given a coat at all. I’m not suggesting that David’s family was abusive, but I am making a comparison of parental predispositions.

We have predispositions toward ourselves as well. Filling the full range from self-worship to self-loathing. What’s more, like Samuel, we tend to base those predispositions on appearances. Sometimes, the appearances are lame. I’ve had more than one discussion with God about what I am not. At one point, it was that I am not a jogger, while I was jogging. Another time, it was that I am not a poet, and then I wrote poetry for several months. Among the things “I am not” now are a photographer, an author, and a homesteader. Basically, whatever I find myself doing, except failing, I proclaim I am not one who does them well. I think part of the reason for this is that if I say I am one, then I have to take responsibility to do everything one of them does and do it well. Again – appearances.

It may be that others are much better at not looking at outward appearances, but I suspect I’m not alone. So, here’s my challenge to everyone, including myself. Make a list of all the things you are not, even though you engage in at least one activity that might be considered part of that role. Aim for at least ten. Pick three and discuss them with God. You might be right that you’re not one. But if your discussion with God leads you to conclude that you are or should be one of them. Discuss that further. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations of the Heart

  May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm19:14)           As I started writing this post, I noted that the meditations of my heart are all over the mental landscape, from a hub where eight superhighways come together to a lunar or nuclear landscape. Do you see my error? The moment I read the word meditation , I think about thoughts. But what’s described here is the meditations of our hearts ; our wills.           While the meditations of our minds may be all over the place, the meditations of our wills tend to be a little more stable by the time we are adults. We no longer tend to want to pursue the ten separate careers we did in any given day as children. Part of this is humble acceptance of reality. We come to understand that we can’t do it all. I think another part of it is disappointmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen To Him

              The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him . (Deuteronomy 18:15)           Today, we switch from Jesus’ claims of “I am” to prophecies made about Him. My Bible platform is starting in Deuteronomy. I’d start in Genesis, where we would learn that the one who would save us would be a descendant of Eve (Genesis 3:15), of Noah (by default), Abram and Sara(Genesis 12:1-3). Isaac (Genesis 17:19), Jacob (Genesis 25:23), Judah (Genesis 29:8), and David (II Samuel 7:12-16). There were also references to a new covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-32). In addition, there were prophecies about when and where the prophet/Messiah would be born and what would happen to him.           Of course, naysayers will claim that Jesus’ life was retrofitted or reverse enginee...
Post a Comment
Read more