In the latest issue (12/15/08) of The Standard Bearer (link in the right margin), Margaret Laning wrote a very convicting article titled “Seeking the Honor That Comes from God Only”. She addressed the subject of the Christmas brag-about-family newsletter. She writes:
“Have you ever received something like this?
Dear Family and Friends,
This has been a wonderful year. We finally bought our luxury dream home in our favorite gated community.
God is so good. Susie and Trent fit right in. For Trent’s birthday, we flew to Disney World—his annual request! For Susie’s, another Princess Cruise! Despite our busy year, we were able to find time serving others. As I look on my calendar I can count 108 overnight guests who stayed at our house, and I cooked 70 meals for the sick (up ten from last year.) Martin volunteered his time building a couple of homes for the poor, and we continue to sponsor a needy child from overseas. We are so glad God has given us a heart for serving others….
This has been a wonderful year. We finally bought our luxury dream home in our favorite gated community.
God is so good. Susie and Trent fit right in. For Trent’s birthday, we flew to Disney World—his annual request! For Susie’s, another Princess Cruise! Despite our busy year, we were able to find time serving others. As I look on my calendar I can count 108 overnight guests who stayed at our house, and I cooked 70 meals for the sick (up ten from last year.) Martin volunteered his time building a couple of homes for the poor, and we continue to sponsor a needy child from overseas. We are so glad God has given us a heart for serving others….
Ah, yes, the holiday brag letter—abhorrent festive fodder.
Thankfully, we receive very few missives like this fictional one. The majority that come our way are humble, lovely ways to keep in touch. Yet, with the boastful ones we roll our eyes and wonder.
Did they forget “let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” (Matt. 6:3)? Or, “let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Prov. 27:2)? Maybe they should write this in their message, “…few and evil have the days of the years of my life been…” (Gen. 47:9).
Even so, it is easy to point out faults in others and to forget about our own proud nature. Jesus
rebuked the Pharisees for their showiness, but our old man is just as guilty. So foolish is our sinful nature, that we clamor for attention while knowing better. We become skilled at camouflaging it.”
rebuked the Pharisees for their showiness, but our old man is just as guilty. So foolish is our sinful nature, that we clamor for attention while knowing better. We become skilled at camouflaging it.”
How true! About one day before reading this article, I sent out just a similar Christmas brag-about-family newsletter. Convicted! Guilty as charged! Today, “Total Depravity” doesn’t seem like such a far-out harsh concept. Rather, it seems that such humility is very well the appropriate attitude for us to have.
Isaiah 40:3-8 puts it this way:
“A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
“Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
A voice says, “Call out.”
Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
“Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
“Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
A voice says, “Call out.”
Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
When the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
When we specifically point out the Christmas brag-about-family newsletter and reveal them for what they are, or when we generally speak of “Total Depravity”, we “make low every mountain and hill” to prepare the way for the LORD. Yes, it is much easier to “lift up every valley” by exalting God. But, do we humble man?
We humble man by proclaiming not only that “all flesh is grass” meaning that man’s life is short, but we also humble man by proclaiming man’s “Total Depravity” condition.
In conclusion, as we approach Christmas and prepare the way for the LORD, let us not only exalt God but let us also humble man. As most of you know, Reformed Doctrine a/k/a Calvinism is best known for its Five Points of Calvinism a/k/a “TULIP”. The “T” in “TULIP” stands for “Total Depravity”. The natural man is dead in sin and enslaved to sin; he is a child of Satan, rebellious toward God, blind to the truth, corrupt, and unable to save himself or to prepare himself for salvation. The natural man does not have “free will” or even a flicker of life whereby he can reach to God or even murmur “Save me!”. Even if the natural man had that flicker of life and “free will”, he is rebellious to God, blind to the truth, and would never seek out God. The purpose of this article is not to lay out the supporting Scripture; you can find it under the link “TULIP” in the right margin and there are many other resources as well. Finally, we do not need to eliminate all newsletters about our family. Let us just make sure that these newsletters, and for that matter all statements about ourselves and our families, are humble and give all the glory to God.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 