The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the Kingdom of their Father. He is willing to wait for that day.
A.W. Tozer - from The Pursuit of God
Sometimes I post a quote and comment… sometimes not…
This time… I do have a little tiny thought…
Why is it that when Hindus and Buddhists talk about denying self it is seen as progressive and desirable… modern and humble…. but when Christians say it… they are “weak” or “weak-minded” or “in need of the crutch of religion”, etc?
My favorite part from the above quote?
“He (the meek man) knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring.”
Once we decide that ONLY what God thinks is what matters… life snaps into focus very quickly.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Sean Chaffee // Jun 5, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Preaach it Brother Scott!!!!!!
2 Jon Ralls // Jun 5, 2007 at 6:45 pm
You are exactly right Scott…Christianity (and Christians) are judged by a different standard. Part of the difference is that Buddism requires you to deny yourself but not take up your cross. “Denying yourself” is vague enough to allow us to make it whatever we want…”taking up your cross” from a Christians perspective is pretty specific (no Christian in the early church would have thought of a cross as decoration or something to wear) and demands all of us.
3 Mary Cochran // Jun 6, 2007 at 4:22 am
Hey there! Sorry I haven~t been able to read your posts for awhile–we~re hoping to have internet at home SOON! We have been here in Brazil for two months now and are so thankful for the time spent with you guys at MTI.
God is blessing our time and our Portuguese. The kids have captured our hearts and changed us forever. Thanks for sharing this quote…powerful thoughts!
4 Michael Turton // Jun 10, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Why is it that when Hindus and Buddhists talk about denying self it is seen as progressive and desirable… modern and humble…. but when Christians say it… they are “weak” or “weak-minded” or “in need of the crutch of religion”, etc?
You are exactly right Scott…Christianity (and Christians) are judged by a different standard.
Correct. Because there is no axis of authoritarian control at the heart of either Buddhism or Hinduism, so Christianity, with its emphasis on power and control, gets judged differently. When Christianity gives up that need for control, then it will be judged by the same rules that the mystics and Buddhists are judged.
In other words, stop worshiping authority, and people will stop hacking on you for worshiping it. What you think of as “selflessness” looks to everyone outside of you as an act of submission. And nothing that truly loves ever demands the submission of another to its will.
Michael
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