“The phrase we hear so often, Decide for Christ, is an emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him-- a very different thing. At the basis of Christ’s Kingdom is an unaffected loveliness of the commonplace. The thing I am blessed in is my poverty. If I know I have no strength of will, no nobility of disposition, then Jesus says-- Blessed are you, because it is through this poverty that I enter His Kingdom. I cannot enter His Kingdom as a good man or woman, I can only enter it as a pauper.” (Oswald Chambers)
Pauper. I can’t be the Prince(ss), but I must be the Pauper. When Prince Edward steps foot into the life of Tom’s, his eyes are awaken to the world that exists on the other side of his lavish palace. Social inequality, broken and often unjust laws, famine, etc. His few hours spent as a pauper probably taught him a whole lot more than the years spent in his luxurious palace.
And even if Twain’s story or other fables similar to that of Twain’s are so inspirational and so good to the ear, they don’t affect the heart deeply. We tend to feel somehow morally intrigued for a hot minute but that’s about it. Because wealth seems nice. Having nice things--who wants to say “no” to that. I can cut steak with my fancy utensils in nice ambiance-- heck yeah, sign me to the up!
Or what about having a certain position/title--
c. a top student who graduated from (insert best schools) with (insert value x>4.0) G.P.A.
We judge people by the amount of money they have, the profession they have, the house(s) they have, the cars they have, they have, they have, they have, THEY HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!
But what’s in our hearts?
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What Chambers writes painfully strikes me in the heart. Do I believe that for myself? Blessed are the poor in Spirit?
I think about my position right now. It’s not sparkly. My future, dreams of law school-- is ambiguous. My bank-- looks pretty hungry. But am I thankful? Do I count my daily blessings? Do I depend on the Lord?
Not having a glistering position, not being in law school, not having a lot of wealth, not have this, not have that-- yes, for a while and still present day, I was/am so affected by how some validate me. And how it has and will continue to affect me and bring my spirits down. How my or another individual’s value as a human being depreciates because the individual does not come from an affluent household, because I do not have the “brain” or because I’m not a practicing lawyer or not even in law school. Yes, I am disappointed that at times, the cover of the book might be the only chance for that book to get picked up.
But then one may say--well at least I’m nice. I’m a good person.
Yeah, and that’s also the same thing the Person who desires to be affiliated with People e (All of the above), said.
It can’t be about what we own, what our positions are, what we wear, what we don’t wear, whether we are good or not. It can’t be.
So examine what’s in the heart.
