Excerpts from Christian Perfection

Excerpts from Christian Perfection 

By John Wesley

Lent offers the opportunity to examine ourselves, and be  renewed in God's love to repentance and correction, through confession and absolution. Wesley wrote as follows:

"PRIDE: We often think we have no need of anyone else's advice or reproof. We may be wise but have little love, or we may have love with little wisdom. For this reason God has wisely joined us together as parts of the body so we cannot say to another, I have no need of you. Be open and honest when you are rebuked and do not seek to evade it.

DECEPTION: "Beware the daughter of pride: the tendency to hastily ascribe revelations to God. Love is the highest gift of God. Do not expect knowledge, without searching the Scriptures and consulting with people of God. Do not expect spiritual strength without constant prayer and study     watchfulness.

LAWLESSNESS: "beware of thinking because I have the love of God I do not need holiness, or since I pray all the time I have no need for set times of prayer or self examination.  Instead beware of self indulgence, for my works our faith is made perfect. Be zealous of good works and give no place to laziness. Be an example of denying yourself and taking up your cross daily.

SCHISM: "beware of schism, of making a tear in the church of Christ. Do not cease to have a reciprocal love for one  another (1Corinthians 12:25). Beware of everything which leads to separation. Do not have a single thought of separating from your brother and, whether their opinion agrees with yours or not. And do not despise or run down any preacher lest you hurt both him and the cause of God. Beware of touchiness, and of an unwillingness to be corrected. Beware of being provoked to anger when criticized or when others do not accept your word.  

All can be summed up in 1Corinthians 13:1-8, "if I do not have love I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, indoors all things. Love never ends."  

God help us to fill our circles of prayer with holy love for his glory. And may we be transformed from our current state of dryness, fatigue, and distraction, into vibrant and holy witness for Christ.

WHY PEOPLE REMAIN TRAPPED IN ANGER

WHY PEOPLE REMAIN 

TRAPPED IN ANGER

By Dwight Cunkle

Part seven based on The Anger Trap by Dr. Les Carter

Review of the past six weeks: The purpose of anger is to preserve or protect. Anger is tied to the craving for love, admiration and significance-sometimes it is a cry to be relieved from pain of insecurity, pride, self-absorption, fear.

Anger is fear-based
This week we look at how fears of being devalued or disrespected prompt us to mishandle our anger. Three things will help us choose a healthy and positive way to respond:
Be objective: weigh facts with logic to make a reasoned response. Pause before reacting.
Then practice good listening to get all the facts  and avoid negative assumptions or interpretations about what other people might intend or may have been feeling.   
Believe that you are a person of worth, who cares about others, and by the help of God’s grace, can be a peacemaker and a protector of other’s personal worth and boundaries.

Avoid these when you feel threatened:
Pride and Denial: “know-it-all” or living in unreality, or “I can’t change”
Evasiveness: “I don’t care”, withdrawal, hiding
Reversal: deflection-”what about you?”, blaming others, whining about being a victim of circumstances

When we abide in God’s love we can choose to love others while speaking the truth to them. We believe the truth about ourselves-that we have value as a person created uniquely in God’s love. Then we can tell others how their choices may be affecting us and what our own choices are. We can choose to not be controlled by others, even if they mistreat us. And we can still be sensitive to their own unresolved pain and problems while maintaining healthy personal boundaries.

We can do all this by following the Great Commandment to love God and love our neighbor as our self.

Mismanaged Anger and the Pride of Self-Absorption

Mismanaged Anger and the 

Pride of Self-Absorption     

  

  by Pastor Dwight

Part six based on The Anger Trap by Dr Les Carter

Anger is tied to the craving for love, admiration and significance-sometimes it is 

a cry to be relieved from pain. To relate to others with respect or disrespect 

indicates the degree to which we are free from self-absorbed pride.

 Note the exalted “I” imprisoned here: prIde &  sIn 

“Positive Pride”: a parent or leader may feel pride in their children or team and express affirmation of their character.

The “Prison of Pride”: self-absorption is a prison of selfish, self-centered, insecurity, which often stems from unresolved hurts, pain or fears. These strongholds are protected by pride.
We become so inwardly focused that it isn’t just about persevering our needs but we can act smug, un-teachable, rudely, hurtful or mean. Our pride justifies our sinful way of mismanaging anger, instead of humbling ourselves and being assertive in a constructive way about our needs or feelings.

All of us need to Exchange Pride with Humility in Christ: If we say we have no denial or self-protection in us then we are in bigger trouble than we know. But if we admit our need for the mind of Christ (humility) He can help us choose to exchange our prideful ways of control and reaction with his own fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, etc…

Pride on display in Debates: Vice-President Joe Biden treated Paul Ryan with condescension, sarcasm and at times mean anger. President Obama in the first debate was sulky and avoided eye contact with Romney which also showed disrespect. Romney and Ryan don’t always act humble any more than you or I do. But it is easy to see why this administration have fomented division, class envy, blame, irresponsibility and anger. Wisdom and blessing are not present when leaders are filled with self-absorbing pride.

The strong person admits fault in order to improve. Humility is not a “milk-toast doormat.” Christ. acted with righteous anger which was helpful and attractive to the humble.