12-10-09
Oswald Chamber's devotion for today:
"The discerning power of The Holy Spirit is not for purposes of criticism...........Criticism is not a healthy habit for a wholesome spiritual life. When criticism becomes a habit, it destroys moral energy, kills faith, and paralyzes spiritual force. Criticism becomes deadly as it decomposes. If you are much criticized, it has the effect of decomposing you."
"That is never the work of The Holy Spirit,nor the work of the saint; it is the work of [Baal-zebub]."
"Abstain from criticizing others."
"Beware of the attitude that puts you in the place of superiority."
Criticism is one of the essences of a dualistic worldview, which as Augustine and Auden-and Stephen Schuler- pointed out, can only be one of conflicts that do not reflect a larger Reality, which are, "bound to the ground," that not being The Ground of Existence but the Gabbatha stone pavement of judgement of the party spirits, i.e., that of the Pharisee, the Sadducee, Rome and Edom (Herod's place), the religio-political axis which has always, always,always dominated world "discourse" Truly, "Dialectic," which never achieves real synthesis only compromise, has been the rule since Day One.........."the more things change...."
After 60 years of compromise and futile conflict, it is my personal goal to not so much achieve a superiority of view, but more of an inferiority complex, like John the Baptist was forced to accept--"He must increase, I must decrease." But even John could not resign his post without The Spirit and a little help from his friends.
Speaking of Jesus, He said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." ---which is more often than not--and so000 ironically-- used by people of any persuasion to hurl a subtle invective at the other side. I would like officially here to invoke two helps; that of the Holy Ghost primarily and prayerfully; and that of my readers--please be my watchdogs and accountability partners in this project of letting go of carnal habits of thought and action. Not if, but when I lapse into a critical spirit, I would like not to be criticized so much as to be brought up short, in the manner in which Nathan revealed to King David his murderous ways. See II Samuel 12. Parables are a great thing--be creative!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
"Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change."
ReplyDelete"The superior man will watch over himself when he is alone. He examines his heart that there may be nothing wrong there, and that he may have no cause of dissatisfaction with himself."
"What the superior person seeks is in themselves. What the mean person seeks is in others."
"The way of the superior person is threefold; virtuous, they are free from anxieties; wise they are free from perplexities; and bold they are free from fear."
"Humility is the solid foundation of all the virtues."