1 Samuel 16:6-7 NIV When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” 7 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.”
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 MSG Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
“Authentic spirituality is to follow Jesus and become wholistically human! One look at Jesus’s life reveals the intense humanity of authentic spirituality. Jesus is a carpenter’s son; He eats and drinks with sinners; He laughs and weeps. He teaches, tells stories, observes the seasons, prays, worships, and experiences love, joy, strength, friendship, weakness, and sorrow. How refreshing to realize that God has created us and redeemed us to be authentically human.” Mark Slomka, Western District Supervisor, International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
Observation
We were created to be human by God. As humans, we have the capacity to be fickle or faithful, false or true, unwise or wise, emotional or rational, and all the other roller coaster emotions and responses built into our human nature. These are molded and shaped from childhood by our community and family values, culture and ethics. We either embrace or rebel against the human expectations placed upon us by our upbringing. If we are raised from childhood in a church, there will be standards which judge our level of spirituality and make you a “somebody” or “nobody” in the congregation.
When Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel, God told him that it was not the outward appearance that moved God. None of the big strong sons of Jesse were to be the next king. The one God chose as the future king was the youngest and smallest son, David, who was called “a man after God’s own heart.” God is looking for character, not achievement.
Paul, who certainly had been a “somebody” in the Jewish faith, is telling the Corinthians (and us) that Jesus does not judge by compliance with outside standards of spirituality or achievement (the brightest and the best, the influential, the rich, the rigid rule follower) but looks on and chooses whom He uses by the heart (those who are faithfully rooted and grounded in God’s grace, mercy and love). Just as Jesus was wholly human – experienced joys and sorrows, considered of low birth, judged a friend of sinners – we, too, can honor and praise God with our lives. “How refreshing to realize that God has created us and redeemed us to be authentically human.”
Impact on Me
“Authentic spirituality is to follow Jesus and become wholistically human!” How do I become whole in my humanity – fully loving and serving God and loving and serving others? How do I avoid the shallow spirituality of judging by outward appearances and achievements? How can I truly be a person after God’s own heart? How do I – without shame and withholding areas – allow the Holy Spirit to truly search me, know my heart, and remodel and remake me? How do I freely and fully submit to Him the taming of my roller coaster of human emotions, remaking the values and cultures imprinted on my soul from childhood, and healing the pain, sorrow and wounds inflicted upon me? How can I emotionally survive the exposure of all of that? Will He still love me after He sees my darkest secrets?
This seems to me to be a wholly heart (soul) choice. It began with choosing Jesus by embracing the salvation He provided and changing my position from in and of the world to in and of Christ. I then began the lifelong process of sanctification – the searching, knowing and remodeling by the Holy Spirit. Every move, every change, every healing He makes requires my submission, my willingness to give over to Him permission to open and clean out the closets hiding the shame, guilt and pain of my past. When I am tempted to say no because I do not want Him to see what is in there, I am reminded that He already knows and will graciously forgive whatever is exposed. How do I deserve such a God Who loves and treasures me to such extent? I am forever grateful.
PRAYER
Father God, Savior, Precious Holy Spirit, I worship You. You are Love too vast to understand. I pray that You will give me the courage to say yes and strength to endure in that yes when my darkest moments are exposed for You to see. You will not be surprised, but I will be ashamed. Forgive me. Help me to be authentic in my response to Your love, grace and mercy as You make me into the best human I can be – one that reflects and represents You in all my ways and words. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 