Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 117
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a blog? So that many can receive the weekly thoughts
I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner.
I
can hear Michael saying, “Boring!”…when someone dribbles on and on about all
the things that have happened in their lives and they can’t get past all those
things to live in the present. Same
thing when he says, “Rubbish, all rubbish!”
Look
at the simple truth Michael presents to “move on”:
Day 8
All Things Are Rubbish?
More
than that, I count all things
to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and
may be found in Him. --Philippians 3:8
What a statement! “I count them but
rubbish.” I wonder if you believe that. What is it that brought you to Christ? What has been the
event that took you deeper? Was it a rebellious child, an unbelieving
mate, a handicap, financial difficulties, a failed marriage, or an unfulfilled
dream? What was it? Did it
take you to Jesus, or are you stuck on self? Have you been able to count it as rubbish?
Sometimes when someone is telling me about a problem, I say very sternly,
“Rubbish, all rubbish!” The
event that brought a person to a deeper walk with Christ is not as important as
the walk. The lesser gives way to the greater. Some are just stuck at their disappointment
because of not having admitted that the whole thing is rubbish. Yes,
divorce is a tragedy and a failure on someone’s part, but we do not let such a shortcoming
define us. The
Lord defines our lives, and if He is for us then who can be against us? We simply let Him define us. Paul’s comment came out of
deep losses, and yet when he could see the comparative worth of knowing Jesus,
those things became as rubbish.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Stuck. To some of us who have
spent many years by the coast, memories come to mind of that dreaded moment
when we started our vehicle and thought we were going to leave the sandy beach
and head to the house…but we went nowhere.
Spinning tires in place, digging a deeper hole that often times meant we
couldn’t get out apart from calling a wrecker.
Stuck. A dreaded feeling. A hopeless feeling.
One of the reasons we got “stuck” as often as we did: we didn’t learn a
lesson as to why we got “stuck” the last time.
Other times we just chose to “go where we shouldn’t have gone.” Either way, we got “stuck.” And it wasn’t fun.
Getting “stuck” in life isn’t fun either. Michael gives us 4 things to focus on:
1. What event or person has “happened”…did they bring us to Christ? Or, are we stuck on self?
2. Have we been able to count them all as rubbish?
3. Have we come to understand that NO EVENT that brought us to Christ,
or to a deeper walk with Christ, is as important as THE WALK?
4. Have we come to the point of living what Paul lived: “I count ALL
things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our
Lord…and count (all those “things”) but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and
may be found in Him”?
Well, amen. God is the God of the
present. Let us let Him define our
lives. Let us trust in His being for us,
and nothing or no one can be against us (to make a difference in our
life). Let us count all “those things”
as rubbish.
There is nothing the nearness of Christ cannot overcome.
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living
Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
leemccm@gmail.com
P. O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
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