Being right
This morning the Spirit woke me up at 5:45 with the following on my heart. I believe it was for me as well as for all of us struggling to walk the Christian life. I am not going to use flowery words or specific passages. I just want this to be from my heart and what the Spirit said.
What does it mean that knowledge puffs up?
Let's say that you are struggling, really struggling with a problem either you don't know how to handle or one that you are just reluctant to handle. Let's say you come to me with your problem and ask me for help. You are very emotional because of the battle you have been facing trying to know what to do. When you come to me with your burden, rather than love you and meet you with heartfelt emotion, I look at you with answers and speak with knowledge from my head. I know that I know the answer to your problem, and even worse, I believe that you should know the answer to your problem and that it's my responsibility to tell you. Rather than put my arm around you to let you know I care, I point my finger at you, and strike you with the truth.
This is a scenario that has happened to me many times over. Someone is coming to me seeking council with something, heavily, weighing on their heart. Rather than intently listening to what they are saying, I am preparing my answer even while they speak. I am thinking of passages in my head that I believe they need to hear. I am trying to think of people who have experienced exactly what they are experiencing so they can give them advice as well. I am trying to think of the exact words to say and how to say them. I am pretending that I am Jesus and wondering what He would say. And, and, and, and, and, I am thinking about me. Every sentence that is going through my head is starting with the word "I." I am preparing...I am thinking...I am trying...I am pretending. My "I's" are so completely on me that I cannot see the person in front of me or the burden that needs lifting. I am looking at me and only myself. This has happened to me not only while talking to a person needing advice, but also while talking to a person with whom I am disagreeing. I believe they need to hear the truth, (i.e. my knowledge), which puffs me up, rather than they need to see my love, which builds them up.
Why does knowledge puff up while love builds up? Because when I believe I know more than you, I put myself above you...in judgment...in knowledge...and in stature. I may even think God is elevating me above you in His eyes. While my attitude about you lifts me up, it also puts you down. Rather than letting my love "build you up" I am letting knowledge "puff me up." Building up exemplifes strength while puffing up exemplifies emptiness. This is what I see as I write. Phil made Bella some building blocks two weeks ago. He made them specifically for her. He made them exactly the size he knew she could handle, did not put any toxic coloring on them and ground off the edges to protect her. David stacked them in three or four rows, in the shape of a pyramid, showing Bella how to remove one. She, quite astonishingly, removed one and then two without any of them falling down. Because of the formation at the bottom, when the blocks on the top were removed, the foundation still stood. Consider a different scenario. Phil makes Bella some building blocks. David stacks them straight up on top of each other. He asks her to knock them down. I know you know the answer to "which set of building blocks is more likely to stand?" When I keep putting myself above you and putting myself above you because of the knowledge I have, my knowledge puffs me up so far, I cannot reach you with my love. It is simply impossible.
When I put my arms around you in love to "hold you up" I am creating a bond with you that "builds both of us up." The foundation on which I am building is The One who has shown me how to do this. Even though Jesus is "truth" He laid himself down for me...like the bottom row of the building blocks...in order for me to be lifted up...like the top row of the building blocks...so one day He can raise me up--all the way to Heaven. But, even now, He lifts me up every day of my life. Even though He could have pointed His finger at me with the Truth, He showed me what love looks like by making Himself nothing to save me. Rather than making me feel de-valued because of His knowledge (which He certainly could have), he emptied Himself of Himself, coming down to make me feel loved. He did not stack my sins against me to knock me down but gave me His love to build me up.
If we, as Christians, keep stacking ourselves up on top of each other, as is exemplified in the second set of building blocks, and we keep knocking Jesus, the one building block who is love and our foundation, out from under us, we will all topple down and have no love left, to build us back up again. Our knowledge and our pride will have puffed us up and the very thing that could build us back up again, will have been removed from us.
I hope I have explained to you, in the same way the Spirit revealed to me, why knowledge puffs up, and love builds up. I hope we can flesh out the principle that loving is more important than being right.
What does it mean that knowledge puffs up?
Let's say that you are struggling, really struggling with a problem either you don't know how to handle or one that you are just reluctant to handle. Let's say you come to me with your problem and ask me for help. You are very emotional because of the battle you have been facing trying to know what to do. When you come to me with your burden, rather than love you and meet you with heartfelt emotion, I look at you with answers and speak with knowledge from my head. I know that I know the answer to your problem, and even worse, I believe that you should know the answer to your problem and that it's my responsibility to tell you. Rather than put my arm around you to let you know I care, I point my finger at you, and strike you with the truth.
This is a scenario that has happened to me many times over. Someone is coming to me seeking council with something, heavily, weighing on their heart. Rather than intently listening to what they are saying, I am preparing my answer even while they speak. I am thinking of passages in my head that I believe they need to hear. I am trying to think of people who have experienced exactly what they are experiencing so they can give them advice as well. I am trying to think of the exact words to say and how to say them. I am pretending that I am Jesus and wondering what He would say. And, and, and, and, and, I am thinking about me. Every sentence that is going through my head is starting with the word "I." I am preparing...I am thinking...I am trying...I am pretending. My "I's" are so completely on me that I cannot see the person in front of me or the burden that needs lifting. I am looking at me and only myself. This has happened to me not only while talking to a person needing advice, but also while talking to a person with whom I am disagreeing. I believe they need to hear the truth, (i.e. my knowledge), which puffs me up, rather than they need to see my love, which builds them up.
Why does knowledge puff up while love builds up? Because when I believe I know more than you, I put myself above you...in judgment...in knowledge...and in stature. I may even think God is elevating me above you in His eyes. While my attitude about you lifts me up, it also puts you down. Rather than letting my love "build you up" I am letting knowledge "puff me up." Building up exemplifes strength while puffing up exemplifies emptiness. This is what I see as I write. Phil made Bella some building blocks two weeks ago. He made them specifically for her. He made them exactly the size he knew she could handle, did not put any toxic coloring on them and ground off the edges to protect her. David stacked them in three or four rows, in the shape of a pyramid, showing Bella how to remove one. She, quite astonishingly, removed one and then two without any of them falling down. Because of the formation at the bottom, when the blocks on the top were removed, the foundation still stood. Consider a different scenario. Phil makes Bella some building blocks. David stacks them straight up on top of each other. He asks her to knock them down. I know you know the answer to "which set of building blocks is more likely to stand?" When I keep putting myself above you and putting myself above you because of the knowledge I have, my knowledge puffs me up so far, I cannot reach you with my love. It is simply impossible.
When I put my arms around you in love to "hold you up" I am creating a bond with you that "builds both of us up." The foundation on which I am building is The One who has shown me how to do this. Even though Jesus is "truth" He laid himself down for me...like the bottom row of the building blocks...in order for me to be lifted up...like the top row of the building blocks...so one day He can raise me up--all the way to Heaven. But, even now, He lifts me up every day of my life. Even though He could have pointed His finger at me with the Truth, He showed me what love looks like by making Himself nothing to save me. Rather than making me feel de-valued because of His knowledge (which He certainly could have), he emptied Himself of Himself, coming down to make me feel loved. He did not stack my sins against me to knock me down but gave me His love to build me up.
If we, as Christians, keep stacking ourselves up on top of each other, as is exemplified in the second set of building blocks, and we keep knocking Jesus, the one building block who is love and our foundation, out from under us, we will all topple down and have no love left, to build us back up again. Our knowledge and our pride will have puffed us up and the very thing that could build us back up again, will have been removed from us.
I hope I have explained to you, in the same way the Spirit revealed to me, why knowledge puffs up, and love builds up. I hope we can flesh out the principle that loving is more important than being right.
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And I'll keep commenting until you make me stop :)
I'm honored that you read my blog. I have three more in my head that I'm anxious to write. I like to write when the Spirit wakes me up early in the morning or late at night, when I'm alone with just God and my computer. This has been such a blessing for me, because I get to share what's on my heart, especially when it's overflowing. I hope I encourage all you young moms out there as much as you encourage me. What a great way to keep in touch, when you can't touch. Thanks for reading and commenting. I'll never make you stop. :)