A Mary Heart in a Martha World

Joanie Shawhan is an overcomer on many levels, and God is using her life to encourage others. In this Spiritual Life UPGRADE, she zooms in on a woman in the Bible who has much to teach us.

"As I pondered the events of Holy week," Joanie says, "I was drawn to Mary of Bethany."

I (Dawn) have to admit that I've always been just as drawn to Martha as to Mary—probably because I've been a "Type A"-plus woman—always working, always intense. Illness has slowed me down, and it's a good thing. I'm learning the value of having a Mary heart, so I love what Joanie has to say about Mary here.

Joanie continues . . .

What motivated Mary to break an expensive jar of perfume and pour it over Jesus’s feet?

We are first introduced to Mary seated at the feet of Jesus listening to his teachings. Meanwhile, her sister Martha scurried about serving their guests.

Martha appealed to Jesus.

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke10:40 NIV).

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:39-42 NIV).

I’m pretty sure this wasn’t the answer Martha anticipated. She probably felt overwhelmed and maybe annoyed by her sister’s lack of help.

As I ponder Jesus’s reprimand, I’m convicted of my own patterns of busyness.

Like Martha, I’m also distracted and fret about many things.

• I’m a task-oriented person, and my to-do list is very important.
• I scamper from one activity to the next.
• I try to focus on the Lord, but soon my imagination skips along on another tangent.
• Random thoughts flit through my mind and intermingle with my to-do list.

Then I’m reminded of Mary who once again defied cultural norms and chose to be in the Lord’s presence. This time Jesus was the guest of honor at another dinner Martha served shortly before his crucifixion. 

“Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance” (John 12:3 NLT).

Jesus surprises me with his response.

“Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial” (John 12:7 NLT).

He valued Mary’s gift, a reflection of her love and devotion.

A Heart like Mary's

How does a task-oriented person like me approach Jesus with a heart like Mary’s in a Martha world?

1. Humble myself.

When Mary pressed in and sat at the feet of Jesus, she laid aside the expectations and the cultural norms of her day.

Did she care what the others thought?

I wonder if the men encircling Jesus noticed her. Did they glower?

Am I willing to draw near and humble myself before the Lord even when others don’t understand?

2. Stop and listen.

Mary refused to be distracted. She stopped, pressed in, and listened to Jesus.

I wonder if she heard Martha calling for help.

Sometimes I need to stop what I’m doing, sit quietly before the Lord, and wait.

“Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10 NLT).

I brush aside cobwebs of distraction: my to-do lists, random thoughts, and past regrets. As I refocus on the Lord, distractions will fade away.

I have an image of the Lord taking my face in his hands and turning my face to His as one would a child’s. “Look at me,” he says. “Look at me. Stay in my presence.”

In his presence is the fullness of joy. (See Psalm 16:11).

3. Give Jesus my all.

Mary held nothing back when she poured out her devotion and that extravagant perfume on Jesus.

Mary gave her all.

She gave her best.

What is my best that Jesus asks me to lay at his feet in worship?

“For God has proved his love by giving us his greatest treasure, the gift of his Son” (Romans 8:32 TPT). 

4. Maintain a pure heart.

Mary’s actions created quite a stir.

• Even her own sister didn’t understand.
• Simon and the disciples not only misunderstood Mary’s extravagant gesture of love, but they were offended and deemed her act of worship a waste.

Am I willing to endure the accusations and the disappointment from others who do not understand my love for Jesus?

I need to be careful that I, in turn, do not become offended or bitter because of the actions or harsh words by others.

Unhindered devotion to Jesus requires me to walk in forgiveness.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 NKJV).

Seeking the Lord with a heart like Mary’s is a challenge to my Martha mentality. But the joy I experience in his presence is worth the price.

What helps you to lay aside the distractions of daily life and be in the Lord’s presence?

Joanie Shawhan shares true-life stories, offering her reader an eyewitness view of the action. Her Selah Awards Finalist book, In Her Shoes: Dancing in the Shadow of Cancer, reflects the value of “Your story plus my story become our stories.” An ovarian cancer survivor and registered nurse, Joanie speaks to medical students in the Survivors Teaching Students program. She co-founded an ovarian cancer social group: The Fried Eggs—Sunny-Side Up. Publishing credits include: Guideposts Divine Interventions, Snapshots of Hope & Heart, Wit, Whimsy & Wisdom, Life Repurposed, and We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished. Follow Joanie at www.joanieshawhan.com.

First graphic, adapted, is "Jesus at the House of Mary and Martha." is adapted. Wikipedia notes that the painting is by British artist Harold Copping.

Second graphic is of "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, posted at Wikipedia.

"Show Off!"—Lessons in Humility

In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, Dawn writes about the subtle but destructive problem of pride.

As a high school freshman attending a school on a Naval base in Keflavik, Iceland, my family had the unique opportunity to live off-base in a quonset hut. We loved it, but it was terribly tight living quarters! We joked that we could touch all the walls at the same time—not exactly true, but funny.

One day, I put one hand on a kitchen counter, and another on a nearby dining chair, and swayed my legs back and forth in an exaggerated swing. I imagined I was an Olympic gymnast on the parallel bars.

"Hey, look at me!" I yelled to my family. "I'm going for the gold!" (I was such a show off at that age, always wanting attention.)

Suddenly, my hand slipped from the counter and I crashed to the hard floor.

My rear end hurt, but the embarrassment was far worse. My normally reserved dad could not stop laughing!

And oh, how my dad loved to share that story with others, sometimes adding, "Pride goes before a fall, right, Dawn?"

The actual scripture he quoted is Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." But I like the way The Message states it:

"First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall."

That pretty much sums up my freshman year in high school. Big ego. I thought I was "all that."

Sinful pride is all about Me, Myself, and I. It crowds out God and others.

Over the years, the Lord used a number of other embarrassing circumstances to teach me humility.

• Once I fell off a big trampoline at the base gym, showing off in front of a bunch of sailors.
• Another time I cracked my head on an icy pond while playing "Crack the Whip" on ice skates. Looking at my "admirers," I didn't notice the big rock in my icy path.

Years later, God saved me from myself and brought me into His family, and I learned that terrible pride was the cause of Satan's big downfall when he was cast from Heaven (symbolically described in Isaiah 14:12-14).

I also read about many biblical characters who were sinfully proud:

• Nebuchadnezzar was a proud pagan king (Daniel 4:28-35).
• Haman was proud in his hatred of Queen Esther and the Jews (Esther 5:11).
• Uzziah was a good king, but he fell with religious pride (2 Chronicles 26:16-19).
• The proud Pharisee was rebuked for his superiority attitude (Luke 18:11-13).
• Jesus exposed the proud Jewish "teachers of the law" (Mark 12:38-40).
• And the Laodicean Church struggled with spiritual pride (Revelation 3:14-17).

Signs You Might Be a Sinfully Proud Person

The Hebrew word for pride is zadown, which means insolence and arrogance. The Greek word is alazoneia, which means empty, bragging, and insolent.

In any language, pride is not a pretty picture!

There are both blatant and subtle signs of pride—and clearly, Christians can be proud people!

Here are just a few ways Christ-followers exhibit this sin.

1. Bragging
2. Acting superior
3. Perfectionism
4. Entitlement
5. Playing the "Martyr"
6. Fault-finding
7. A Harsh Spirit
8. Superficiality
9. Defensiveness
10. Presumption before God
11. Being desperate for attention
12. Neglecting others

The Bible says arrogance, or pride, is a sin within our heart that defiles us (Mark 7:21-23). In pride, a wicked person does not seek God—in fact, there is no room for God! (Psalm 10:3-4).

I've often asked God to help me love the things He loves, and hate the things He hates. Clearly, God DETESTS the "proud of heart" (Proverbs 16:5).

How to Avoid the Sin of Pride

1. Learn Humility

First, we have to acknowledge that pride is sin and that we desperately need to learn humility.

We need to arm ourselves with truth about pride and humility, such as:

"Pride of life" is worldly; it does not come from God (1 John 2:16-17).

Pride brings disgrace, but humility brings wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor (Proverbs 29:23).

God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

God will humble those who exalt themselves (Matthew 23:12).

Choose humility, and God will lift you up at the right time (1 Peter 5:6).

2. Boast Only of the Lord

We need to stop boasting about ourselves and cultivate a healthy, sin-free way to boast!

Paul said, "may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...." (Galatians 6:14a). And he practiced the right kind of boasting: "Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God" (Romans 15:17).

In 1 Corinthians 1:31, Paul says we should "boast in the Lord" too.

Note: This is not sinful boasting. It actually means boasting OF the Lord.

This kind of boasting has nothing to do with trusting in worldly possessions—the "chariots and horses" of our day (Psalm 20:7); and it's not about speaking blessings into existence (as some preachers like to say).

So what are we suposed to boast about?

• We can boast of God's attributes.
• And we can boast of what God has done, is doing, or will do for us.

In these things, we can boast of Him "all day long" (Psalm 44:8).

In 1 Corinthians 1:31, Paul was actually quoting from Jeremiah:

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:24).

The truth is, in ourselves we have no reason to act "puffed up" or superior. We have nothing that we did not receive from God (1 Corinthians 4:7).

We cannot even boast about our salvation, because it is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9), and God chose us for His own purposes (1 Corinthians 1:26-30)—not because of anything good He saw in us.

All glory must go to God alone.

God told Isaiah, I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other (Isaiah 42:8a).

That's especially hard for people who minister on platforms and stages to remember, right? It's too easy to steal His glory. Preachers, teachers, and others in ministry must never forget we are to do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

3. Serve Others in Humility

Whereas pride can lead to fault-finding, the humbe person will attend to the log in his own eye instead of nit-picking about the speck in a fellow-believer's eye (Luke 6:42).

Prideful thinking can keep us from humble serving!

 When we serve others, we get our eyes off ourselves. But first, we need to get our eyes on Jesus to see what He sees!

Jesus was humble (Philippians 2:5-11), and when we see through our Savior's eyes, we will begin to value people above ourselves, and we we will notice ways we can help and serve them (Philippians 2:3; Mark 10:45)—just like Jesus did!

Humility was one of the characteristics emphasized in the early church, because the Apostles knew  humility would lead to loving service. Peter exhorted believers to love others, be compassionate, and be humble (1 Peter 3:8). Paul encouraged Christians to "with all humility and gentleness," bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2).

When we learn humility, we will be better prepared to serve God and others.

God doesn't want us to show off—unless we are showing HIM off to the world. As some have said, "Make God famous!"

Can you say with the Psalmist, "My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice" (Psalm 34:2)? Which of the three ways to avoid the sin of pride would be most helpful in your life?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Chad Madden at Unsplash.

Regain Your Sense of Wonder

Ava Pennington is known for her wisdom in the Word. In this Attitude UPGRADE, she encourages readers to upgrade their lives by regaining their godly sense of wonder.

"G. K. Chesterton wrote, 'We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.'

"I can relate," Ava says.

One year I (Dawn) chose the word "wonder" as my word of the year. It was one of the most wonder-full years of my life—life changing! I'm so glad Ava chose to write about this. Our attitudes and perspectives can be so much more to the glory of God.

Ava continues . . .

I often lose my sense of wonder these days, taking for granted things as imposing as a jet plane or as fragile as a butterfly. I ignore a sunset or overlook a rainbow as I rush to the next task on my to-do list.

Many of us seek miracles for our problems, yet miss the miracles in each day.

Consider the human body in all its wonder: 60,000,000,000,000 (sixty trillion) cells, unique fingerprints, and 600 muscles.

Or the beauty of a rainbow resulting from the interaction of light rays and water droplets.

The greatest wonder of all?

Our holy God provided a way to restore sinful humanity to Him. Because of Jesus, we’re able to call the awesome Creator God, Father.

I’m determined to delight in the large and small wonders inhabiting my days.

Have you lost your sense of wonder at joyful intimacy with the living God or the marvels of His creation?

If so, join me in regaining your sense of wonder.

1. Cultivate faith in our limitless God.

The pressures of daily life can cause our circumstances to overwhelm us. But our finite abilities don’t compare to God’s infinite wisdom and power.

He’s the One who set the stars in space. Don’t let the children’s poem, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” fool you—“little star”?

Consider our star, the sun. Its mass of hot plasma totals more than 99 percent of our solar system. Additionally, the sun converts 4,000,000 tons of matter into energy every second. And our limitless God created it along with countless other stars in the universe!

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) reminds us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

When circumstances overwhelm our finite minds, faith offers assurance we can trust God’s infinite faithfulness.

2. View the world with childlike humility and wonder.

The first time I flew, I knew the scientific explanations for cloud formation. But you’d never have known it by my initial reaction. Sitting in a window seat, I repeatedly squealed, “Look at the clouds!”

You’d have thought I was nine years old. Uh…no. More like twenty.

Decades later, despite the hassles, I intentionally remind myself of the sheer wonder of flying—

• of sitting safely while hurtling through the sky at 500 miles an hour;
• of soaring above the clouds while reveling in the Creator who made them.

Even more important than viewing our world with childlike wonder, God calls us to trust Him with childlike faith.

When the disciples asked Jesus to identify the greatest in heaven’s kingdom, He pointed to the humility of a child (Matthew 18:3).

It takes humility to approach the world in wonder.

 And it takes humility to acknowledge our helplessness and approach God for the salvation He offers.

3. Be present and attentive in the moment.

I have a tendency to multitask, even when I’m with other people. I’m often consumed with to-do lists. Can you relate?

Today gets lost in the shuffle between tomorrow’s worries and yesterday’s regrets.

Inattentiveness causes missed opportunities for wonder right in front of me.

Replacing New Year’s resolutions, I now identify “one word” for my focus each year. This year, my word is attentive.

I want to be intentionally present in the moment—

• to pay attention as God speaks to me through His Word and the Holy Spirit’s prompts;
• to be more attentive to the people He places in my path.

Proverbs 12:15, and 19:20 are just two of the verses reminding us to listen to—and apply—wisdom. Wisdom is found in the Bible, the Holy Spirit’s whispers and the counsel of mature Christians. My attentiveness has already led to increased wonder!

4. Default to joy.

As we get older, it becomes easier to focus on negative aspects of life.

Here’s an easy one: I dislike driving in the rain. Yet, although low visibility requires additional concentration, I can still choose to default to joy at the refreshment it brings.

Consider the recent Australian bushfires that burned more than 12,000,000 acres. Desperate prayers addressed heaven for the inconvenient rain I complain about!

The Bible is replete with verses reminding us to be joyful.

• We’re told to rejoice in hope (Romans 12:12a)
• We're to be joyful when we suffer trials (James 1:2).
• The apostle Paul included joy as part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
• We’re to always rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 4:4).

Defaulting to joy changes our perspective, preparing us for the time when we’ll have fullness of joy in God’s presence (Psalm 16:11).

Children naturally exude a sense of wonder. Since you and I are God’s children, we should do the same.

He’s worthy of our wonder and childlike faith, so bask in the wonder of God’s faithfulness and love today!

How will you apply the above steps to regain your sense of wonder?

Ava Pennington is a writer, Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) teacher, and speaker. She is the author of the adult devotional, Daily Reflections on the Names of God, and has co-authored two children’s picture books. Ava has written numerous articles for magazines such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse, and contributed to more than 30 anthologies. Visit her at www.AvaWrites.com.

We Are Blessed to 'Decrease' and 'Increase'

As I (Dawn) thought back over the incredible blessings of 2019—blessings and gifts that God has showered into my life in spite of my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis last January—one word keeps coming to mind: "Increase."

In this Spiritual Growth UPGRADE, I want to focus on God's great gift to us, and how we might respond to that gift in the year to come. Then I want us to consider how the concept of "decrease / increase" might be a life changer for us.

I. God Gave an Incredible Blessing

Ephesians 1:3 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."

Everything changed with the pronouncement of that blessing—"in Christ."

The scripture that repeatedly came to mind this past Christmas was 1 John 4:14—"The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world."

What amazing love. What tender mercies. What a blessing!

• We were "dead" and completely alienated from Him. (Ephesians 2:1-2).
• We deserved only wrath and eternal judgment. (Ephesians 2:3).
  
• Yet we found ourselves the recipients of astounding love. (Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:4-10)
  

How blessed we are! Jesus came from Heaven (Philippians 2:7-8a) and made a way—the only way (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Philippians 2:8b)—for us to live with Him, our exalted King, in heaven (Philippians 9-10).

God intends to bless us forever in Jesus.

God always intended to bless His creation. He told Abraham, "... blessing I will bless you" (Genesis 22:17a). From Adam and down through the Patriarchs, God explained how much He wanted to bless His people, to multipy their numbers on the earth.

But they were still sinners. They still needed a Savior. They looked forward to the day God would send the promised One (Genesis 3:15). Today, we look back to that day. The day the Father sent the Son.

II. God's Blessing Invites a Response

We ignore this great blessing to our peril.

The blessing of God at Christmas invites a heart response. That's why pastors give invitations.

Some of the saddest verses in scripture are John 1:10-11. "He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."

Jesus came to be the Savior, but He was not received. In fact, He was rejected (Luke 4:14-30; Acts 4:11).

But one of the happiest verses in scripture is John 1:12: "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

This is the response to the blessing that God desires. The Father sent the Son to be the Savior ... and He wants us to receive and believe.

III. My Unexpected "Blessing"

Sometimes our blessings aren't immediately recognized as blessings. This was the case with my Multiple Myeloma diagnosis.

God intends to use it for great blessing. That is why I have often called my diagnosis a "gift."

The Lord has already used my disease to open my eyes to many things:

• My laziness and short-sightedness regarding Kingdom priorities.
• Materialism that distracted me from true riches in Christ.
• Selfishness with my time and talents.
• Pride regarding my accomplishments.
• An earthly focus rather than living with eternity in view.

And so much more!

So as I have thought about the great blessings in my life in 2019—even those who come in "ugly wrappings"—I am more determined than ever to seek the Lord and His will in 2020.

Here are some things the Lord is saying to me . . .

IV. He—Jesus—Must "Increase"

We focus on Baby Jesus at Christmas—but must remember that in time, Baby Jesus grew up. The Bible says He "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

Incidentally, that is how the Father wants us to increase. And we will, if we become Christ-like.

When Jesus was ready to begin His public ministry, the disciples of John the Baptist saw that many of John's followers were splitting off to follow after Jesus. They questioned this sudden change. John reminded them that he was not the Christ, but had only been "sent before Him" to prepare the way.

It was natural that the public ministry of Jesus would take off as John's preparatory ministry would begin to shut down.

John told his disciples, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Then John began to point them and others to the Lord's expanding ministry.

During 2019, the Lord urged me many times to consider my future, for as long as He allows me to live. It's not to be about platform building or making my name known (not that there's anything wrong with that if God calls you to it).

The Lord clearly said to me, "You don't know how many years I'll give you, but I want you to give those years to Me.

"I want you to magnify Me and make My name known."

He has already blessed me mightily. He has redeemed me. He has shown Himself merciful and faithful, powerful and good.

And my response?  

He must increase—I must decrease.

This is a matter of attitude and position.

In a culture that pushes pride and self-promotion, "decreasing" in order to highlight Jesus' magnificence to others is no simple assignment. But that is the path of humility. That is the path Jesus walked.

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...." (Philippians 2:5).

It's taking on the form of a servant. Just as Jesus came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), that is the lifestyle He calls His followers to as well.

V. Yet ... I'm Blessed to "Increase" Too!

Even as I am called to DECREASE so Jesus can increase, there are some areas of my life that should INCREASE as I follow my Savior.

1. My Surrender Should Increase

"... present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1).

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it" (Mark 8:35).

2. My Love Should Increase

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11).

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more...." (Philippians 1:9a).

"But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

3. My Praise Should Increase

"Let us praise God for His glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in His dear Son" (Ephesians 1:6).

"Praise Him—He is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that He has done for you" (Deuteronomy 10:21).

"We proclaim how great you are and tell of the wonderful things you have done" (Psalm 75:1).

4. My Ministry Should Increase

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (2 Corinthians 9:8).

"For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:12).

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

5. My Giving Should Increase

"You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, and your giving through us will produce thanksgiving to God" (2 Corinthians 9:11).

"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act" (Proverbs 3:27).

You can perhaps think of other areas that should INCREASE AS YOU DECREASE (in humility), and follow hard after the Lord.

Do you know how much you've been blessed? What is your response to that blessing? Could there be some fresh area of "increase" that would honor the Lord this Christmas and in 2020?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Analogicus at Pixabay.

Follow Me As I Follow Christ

In this Christian Living UPGRADE, I (Dawn) want to inspire readers to inspire others in 2020—all to the glory of God!

One of the most difficult comments I received several years ago was this: "Who do you think you are? Do you think you are on some sort of pedestal?"

It was a hard comment to receive. At first, I reacted. "And who do you think YOU are ....?"

But then—upset that I reacted so quickly—I chose to respond in prayer.

I asked the Lord, "Is there some element of truth here?"

As it turned out, there was. The Lord showed me a strong streak of pride.

I did have a lot to be proud about.

But I was proud of the wrong person.

I should have pointed people to Jesus—the One who enables us to accomplish great things for His glory.

Since that time, I've been intrigued by the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (NIV). Or in the Amplified version: "Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ."

From the human standpoint, Paul had every reason to be proud of himself and his accomplishments.

Even before his conversion, Paul was a deeply religious man. A model Jew. He wrote, "If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more"—and he described his high religious pedigree (Philippians 3:4-11).

Paul wasn't being arrogant or smug. He was just being honest.

But then, becoming a Christ-follower changed Paul's heart. He saw his incredible spiritual heritage in a new light.

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ," he said. "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:7-8a).

He saw his good works as "rubbish" (v. 8), because he knew his true righteousness would only be found in Jesus.

"... not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith" (Philippians 3:9).

Paul trusted only in the work of Jesus for him on the cross. He no longer wanted to boast in good works and accomplishments.

Rather, he boasted in his weakness so that Christ's strength would be perfected in and manifest through him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

And he said, "Follow Me."

As I read of Paul's change of heart, I find his invitation to believers to follow him as he followed Christ so beautiful.

It is the humble spirit that best points to the One who deserves true praise.

God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5b-6). And out of that undeserved grace, we praise Him. We exalt Him.

No one but Jesus is perfect, but we are made righteous in Him (Romans 3:22a; 5:1).We are not yet sinless, but hopefully we are cooperating with the Holy Spirit and growing into Christ-likeness (Romans 8:29).

Certainly, we will fail the Lord many times this side of heaven, but He still calls us to follow Him. Trust Him. Obey Him. And make Him known.

We should want our words and deeds to inspire others to follow Jesus.

When we fail, we confess our sins to God and if need be, to others (1 John 1:9; James 5:16) and we continue to grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18a).

At the beginning of this post, I wrote about a comment that revealed to me my strong streak of pride. But many things have changed in my life since then. One of the biggest changes is the unexpected "gift" of disease that has taught me to follow Jesus more closely, so aware of my own needs.

A recent comment to me—and I give God all praise and honor for this—shows how the Lord can use us as we are vulnerable and honest about our struggles and yet trusting in Christ's sufficiency.

A friend said something like this: 

"Thank you for encouraging me to follow Jesus. Your faith and obedience have inspired me, and I love Jesus more because of you."

Those words brought tears, because I know my heart's new desire is to put Jesus on the pedestal He so highly deserves.

So yes, friend.... follow me as I follow Christ.

I may trip and fall, but I am on the right path. And I want you to walk with me.

How does your life inspire others to follow Jesus? What might need to change so others will want to walk with you?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, Footprints in the Snow, Wallpaper courtesy of yesofcorsa.com.