The GRINCH!

The last thing you want to be called this time of the year, especially, is selfish! Self centered is another bad one or how about self indulgent? Makes me shiver just to think of it! These terms remind us of "Scrooge" or worse "The Grinch"! How about "all the other reindeer" who because of their self righteousness shunned "poor Rudolph"? Nope, I hate the sound of any of those descriptions! Yet, the great truth I received from God today dealt with all those SELF words.

Let me explain! I pride mySELF at not being PROUD! No, that's not what I meant to say! Actually, I have to say that about sums it up. I think I am humble sometimes because I have SELF doubt. I have mistakenly thought that lack of SELF confidence is humility. I have deemed SELF degrading as righteous! Not a very pretty picture, huh? Well, try seeing it from this side of the mirror!

As I go into this next year I want to get the SELF out of everything I do and say! Who gave me the right to tell God that somehow he made a mistake when he made me. If I lack SELF confidence, good I need God confidence anyway. If God tells me something to do, who am to doubt Him or the servant he chose to do it (Me)? And above all who am I to degrade God's creation....me? Help me Lord not to be SELF centered, SELF absorbed or SELFish! The world would cheer me on if I am SELF motivated, a SELF starter or SELF confident but Lord teach me to put You into those "qualities"!

I love Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life" but right out of the hat he hits you with a statement that I have to repeat to myself often "IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU"! That's where we get it all turned around, it isn't about us or SELF it is about serving Jesus Christ who came to this earth to serve and die for us. He washed the diciples feet as a servant and told them to do the same. There was only SELFlessness in everything Christ did while he was here on earth!

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. Luke 9:23