and every human — is contentment. Contentment with our health — physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, relationally. Christians do not experience abundant LIFE in this world, because we don’t experience contentment. Jesus and His imputed worthiness are not ENOUGH for us — our human-wisdom influences us to want something MORE — some worthiness of our OWN,…

circumstances today, and will have perfect-for-me circumstances tomorrow, but my human-wisdom thinks otherwise. My human-wisdom thinks that perfect-for-me circumstances would be way-easier, and would certainly not involve any suffering, mistakes, failures, embarrassments. And my human-wisdom thinks it also knows what’s best for people I love, for my country, for the world. My human-wisdom thinks it…

busy doing many good things through planning and management, using our human-wisdom? Do we need Jesus to grow us into a Mary Church, with our eyes and thoughts fixed on Jesus, where we do NOTHing on our own, but are curious/expectant to see what Jesus does NEXT in us, others, circumstances? Watch-it-happen types, instead of…

With joy, and without joy. Watch-it-happen Christians, and make-it-happen Christians. DEpendent Christians and INdepenent Christians. Christians with eyes and thoughts fixed on Jesus to see what He does NEXT, in them, others, circumstances, and Christians with eyes and thoughts fixed on circumstances. Thankful-for-everything Christians, and thankful-when-things-go-our-way Christians. Sovereignty-focused Christians, and circumstance-focused Christians. Christians who assess…

Why do we view confession as negative? Because confession means failure, and failure-avoidance explains so much of why we do, when we do, how we do, living in denial of the EXTENT of our failures. We dowanna SEE the awful truth about ourselves. The humble are not failure-avoidant/confession-avoidant because the humble are not threatened by…

sin is self-contempt, the most-painful IDOL is self-contempt-avoidance. Failure-avoidance. Explains why we Christians do, what we do, how we do, but only the unusually-self-aware recognize this. Most just push on, focused on our goals/agendas, unaware of what really drives us, pressures us, and robs us of the peace and joy — the happiness, that’s ours…

is the sin of self-contempt — being irritated with ourselves. So most of us Christians live in denial — unconsciously suppressing self-contempt. Too painful to even see, much-less embrace. As Jesus grows us in self-awareness our self-contempt is EXPOSED. And then we struggle to know what to DO with it. So many Christians end up…

or myself, or my circumstances, I’m NEVER Jesus-dependent, ALWAYS human-wisdom-dependent. Wise in my own eyes, learning on my own understanding, confident-I-know-what’s-best. Without the benefit of Jesus in THIS life. Circumstance-dependent for joy and peace. To be pitied above all men. Fearful, or frustrated, or discouraged, unless things momentarily go my way, and when they go…

by your circumstances — no good options, causing you to feel joyless and peaceless, maybe even panicky, your perspective is being heavily influenced by your human-wisdom, not Scripture, which clearly teaches Jesus’ sovereign AND LOVING reign over every detail of our lives. We do NOT know what’s best, but He DOES. We are NOT alone,…

Outside humility and inside humility. Human-wisdom-rooted humility and Spirit-rooted humility. Worldly-humility and other-worldly humility. The humility politicians and we Christian leaders have perfected, and real humility. Outward niceness, is not humility. The humble are not defensive, not ambitious, not competitive, but rather are content, and enjoyers of everyone just as we are, and everything just…