Congratulations on completing the first part of our journey on the path to a deeper understanding of the Lover of our souls: Jesus Christ.

I feel sad that our devotional series is coming to a close. Once again, I will remind you we are running a marathon, and not the 100-meter dash!

The call to be self-controlled is vital if we are to win the crown of righteousness that Paul spoke of in our second blog post of this series (2 Timothy 4:7-8). 

Like any good soldier, we are responsible for our own well-being, but we need support from our own battalion, the church, to fight the good fight.

The verse today conjures up this image:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Walking across the Savannah is a herd of zebras. A lion lay low in tall grass, observing every move of the herd. The lion is hungry. His eye catches the limping zebra, lagging behind the herd. The lion braces herself for she knows it is only a matter of time before the limping zebra falls behind, separating himself from the herd. He is now vulnerable to attack, and the lion has mastered her kiss of death.

Reflect on this metaphor. The herd of zebras is the church. The lion is the devil. The limping zebra could be any of us at a time of suffering, temptation, or greed. He is the wounded believer. If we fall from our community, the lion will pounce. How did the believer become so wounded that he separated himself from the herd? Most of the time, it’s the same reason that the angel Lucifer was banished from God’s presence: pride. He wanted to be like God. There is where most of our daily troubles come from. We want to take control of our lives. We want a savior, but we don’t need Jesus as Lord of our lives. Very few people, however, will admit to being prideful. The father of lies has put some ever-so-subtle barriers in our path, and the race is becoming tougher!

As a result, we have become the most dreaded creature: the guy behind the wheel of the car who, despite being completely lost, will not stop and ask for directions. Humility is not looked upon as a virtue, and is rarely sought after. I find it easier to reframe the word when working with my clients so it becomes for palatable.

Humility: the gift of being teachable.

I encourage you to read one of the greatest classical Christian books of our time: The Pilgrim’s Progress. “I saw in my dream, as long as my value reached, there was on the right side of the road a very deep ditch. That ditch is where the blind have led the blind forever. Both have miserably perished.”

Yes, it’s easy to get distracted and take your eyes off the goal. We work better and grow more when we have accountability and a spiritual mentor. Who’s got the time to do all this work? Are you living up to your true potential? If your answer is no, I commend you for your humility!

What will it take to get out of the ditch?

I would like to invite you to the "40 days Transformation". We run this through Live stream, every other month. Contact us for details when we will have our next group.