Since it is my daily routine to read from Oswald Chamber’s “My Utmost for His Highest”, this time from Nov 19th., Wednesday morning prior to working on this post, for some reason the Spirit connected Laura’s account, my earlier years of spiritual wandering, and the word conviction into this blog post. Take note, Utmost was even anchored with the verse, “When He has come, He will convict the world of sin…” John 16:8
Therefore, since yesterday’s post included the account of Laura’s emotional downward spiral during her class presentation, solely from the actions of her peers, I realized that for me, and I’m thinking the same is true for many of us, that such emotional painful spirals are frequently caused by our own inward moral or addictive behavioral indiscretions, rather than from other persons thoughtless or inconsiderate actions. And I found Oswald’s word’s especially pertinent teaching for us how to gain, or regain, our vibrant spiritual perspective. Thus, I’ll share them with you. Please read each line slowly, deliberately, & thoughtfully, before proceeding on.
FYI, no where in this How Full Is Your Bucket book, do I find Jesus mentioned or endorsed. Sometimes I think that was a deliberate omission, for if Jesus were mentioned, it may have greatly reduce the book appearing in the hands & on the shelves of those who need it most. We must trust the Spirit to call people to repentance, however, wherever He chooses. Who knows? You & I may be the only representation of the Bible & Jesus some folks may ever see or hear! An awesome responsibility indeed! Therefore, I’m utilizing Chambers words once more here & now to trumpet His clarion call for our appreciation for conviction today, and ultimately, for our discipleship tomorrow, while treading on the turf of a secular book on a blog aimed largely at a culturally Christian audience whose faith and doctrinal realities are also without blemish!
UTMOST WISDOM: Nov 19
Very few of us know anything about conviction of sin.
We know the experience of being disturbed because we have done wrong things.
But conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit blots out every relationship on earth and makes us aware of only one – “Against You, You only, have I sinned... (Psalm 51:4)
When a person is convicted of sin in this way, he knows with every bit of his conscience that God does forgive,
but it cost the breaking of God’s heart with grief in the death of Christ to enable to do so.
The great miracle of the grace of God is that He forgives sin,
and it is the death of Jesus Christ alone,
that enables the divine nature to forgive and to remain true to itself in doing so.
It is shallow nonsense to say that God forgives us because He is love.
Once we have been convicted of sin, we will never say this again.
The love of God means Calvary— nothing less!
The love of God is spelled out on the Cross and nowhere else!
The only basis for which God can forgive me is the Cross of Christ.
It is there that His conscience is satisfied.
Forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that I am saved from hell and have been made ready for heaven.
Forgiveness means that I am forgiven into a newly created relationship which identifies me with God in Christ.
The miracle of redemption is that God turns me, the unholy one, into the standard of Himself, the Holy One.
He does this by putting into me a new nature, the nature of Jesus Christ. Justification!
(merlin again. I suggest you make a mental note of this Nov 19 Utmost reading for future reference. As well as for the Nov 20 on Forgiveness! This all does remind me of the hymn, Hallelujah! What a Savior! by Phillip B Bliss 1875)
Man of Sorrows!” what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
OK, back to the Bucket book. As a result of the Positive Psychology Movement – the study of “what is right” with people – some of the world’s leading academic minds are now devoting their careers to analyzing the effects of positive emotions. At the risk of greatly oversimplifying a decade of in-depth research, many of the world’s most noted scientists have put negativity on trial and have founded it guilty!
These recent studies show that negative emotions can be harmful to your health and it might even shorten your lifespan. (I’ve heard that most of my life, but now it is “science.”) We already know that one negative person can ruin an entire workplace but negative emotions can also destroy relationships families and entire careers.
In contrast, recent discoveries suggests that positive emotions are an essential daily requirement for survival. Not only do they improve your physical and mental health, but they can also provide a buffer against depression and illness.
>Thousands of Moments Every Day
According to Noble Peace Prize scientist Daniel Kahneman, we experience approximately 20,000 individual moments in a waking day. Each “moment” lasts a few seconds. If you consider any strong memory positive or negative – you’ll notice that the imagery in your mind is actually defined by your recollection of a precise point in time. And rarely does a neutral encounter stay in your mind – the memorial moments are almost always positive or negative! And in some cases, a single encounter can change your life forever.
In a recent Today segment Katie Couric interviewed a young man named Brian Bennett who had grown up in a troubled and abusive environment. He had struggled in school and been picked on regularly at a young age. Now Brian is a successful and well-adjusted adult. When Couric asked him, “What made the difference?” the young man responded without thinking twice: The defining moment in his life occurred when a grade school teacher simply told him that she cared about him and believed in him. This one small interaction turned Brian Bennett’s life around.
In another case, we asked Kristin, the management consultant, “What is the greatest recognition you’ve ever received?” Her answer: “Three words in an email.” We then found out when Kristin’s mother passed away, a mentor at work whom Kristin had admired throughout her career wrote her a special note. Her mentor’s e-mail concluded by saying, “Your mother was very proud of you, and so am I.” After 25 years with her company, three simple words carried more meaning than any other recognition Kristin had received in her entire life.
NEXT UP: John Gottman’s pioneering research on marriages. This research will change your life, married or not!