Only the proud are impatient.  Only the proud have contempt for others, and suppressed self-contempt, and are self-deceived about their competitive need to feel superior. A humble man enjoys himself just as he is, and others, just as they are.  A humble man feels no need to feel superior to others.  A humble man is…

Only the ambitious are proud.  Only the humble are contented.  Impossible to be humble and ambitious.  Impossible to be proud and contented. Only a humble man is contented with how Jesus made his body, made his mind, shaped his personality, engineered him into his present job, house, car, clothes, financial health/dysfunction, marriage/singleness, children, relatives, relationships. …

but only to the freshly humble — those freshly DEAD to their own worthiness, reputation, financial security, job security, relationship security…those freshly unfazed at the possibility of losing everything, willing to be nobodies, losers, pitied by all.  Because the freshly humble find so much contentment in Jesus alone.  Jesus is ENOUGH for the freshly humble.…

of everyone and everything just as it is, unless I’m actively believing in the sovereignty of Jesus (see Him behind everyone and everything, not just nature, but every man-made thing, every bad design, every jerk, every loser, including ShepherdDave, as part of His handiwork as the CreatorSustainer of the Universe), I will be circumstance-dependent for…

is the chief encourager –  positive thinker.  “You can do this.”  The next best is the chief accuser –  helping people see the sin to which they are blind.  But the best – the one most likely to be used of the Spirit to transform lives, is the chief confessor.  The chief remover of logs…

Or bothered by ridicule, humiliation, failure.  A humble person learns from failure, has compassion on jerks, abusers, enemies, but is not afraid to stand up for self, or others.  A humble person is not defensive, welcomes criticism, is not competitive, has nothing to prove to others or self.  A humble person is not intense, does…

is being confident-I-know-what’s-best.  If a child grew up being trained in Jesus-dependency – in asking/thanking about everything, being comfortable with cluelessness-they-know-what’s-best, their lives as adults would be indescribably easier, happier, way-more peaceful and stress-free. –ShepherdDave, an expert witness of the curse of adulthood, the curse of being adultlike/independent, always needing fresh conviction of the sin…

extending grace to all.  The activist, the achiever, lives with enormous pressure to succeed, avoid failure/mistake/embarrassment, to be better, believe better, do better.  And the judgeful observer/people-watcher, noticing weakness in others, robbing others of grace, lives a miserable life of addiction.  Being a competitor, feeling good about self at the expense of others, is the…

unless I’m confident-I-know-what’s-best.  Only ShepherdDave, wise in his own eyes, leaning on his own understanding, has the ability to be encouraged. DumbSheepDave has no clue which circumstances are encouraging/discouraging, praiseworthy/unworthy-of-praise, thankable/not-thankable, so he thanks his ShepherdJesus for everything, just as it is — ShepherdDave, others, including jerks, Jesus’ genius plan for everyone, including suffering, evil,…

or frustrated, or fearful, or bored, unless I’m confident-I-know-what’s-best.  ShepherdDave. DumbSheepDave is too clueless-about-what’s-best to be discouraged, frustrated, fearful, or bored.   He just eats the grass right in front of him, where his ShepherdJesus has led him.  DumbSheepDave lives in the present, in the moment.  Other-worldly contentment.  The future is not his problem, not his…