Various OpinionsJay Hopson (976)    Jay Hopson   Christian Insider Review A Lesson in HumilityPosted Thursday, July 24, 2008 (120 days 15 hours ago.) Viewed 95 times. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Philippians 2:3 The world we live in today is so contrary to Gods word in its approach that if we don't stay in the Word nearly daily we endanger our walk. (Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1 Cor. 1:20) This is illustrated to me every day at my job. Although I love my job and am very grateful for it, there is one aspect of it that nearly every night tests me in humility. I work at a truck stop supplying trucks with in-cab heat and air conditioning. My shift runs from 12:00 AM to 8 AM, which makes it nice for me because I have a lot of time to myself and even some time to write. One of the chores I must do, though, is deal with the trash that tuckers leave on the lot. We have several large trash barrels, but these are not always made use of. One of the things I've learned about truckers that I hadn't known, is that during their long hauls they seldom take the time for restroom stops, preferring instead to urinate in a bottle or jug of some kind. I'm sure you can see where this is going. Obviously this results in some very smelly and unhealthy trash. Occasionally, the employee who runs the shift before mine allows the trash to pile up, and if I have been off for a few days, I find the putrid odor almost overwhelming and the task daunting. My first inclination to a bad night of trash dumping is to quit the job on the spot, This option, however, has not served me well in the past and probably is one of the reasons for the sorry state of my finances. Invariably, my next thought includes complaining to my superior or the employees who didn't take out the trash before me. But, once again, I am assured that pride is involved in that option. (Do all things without complaining and disputing Phil. 2:14.)  I know there is a fine line between allowing myself to be a doormat and disputing, but I also know there is a way to make known my displeasure without complaining or grumbling. I came to the conclusion tonight to talk to the employee who had the shift before mine and just request that he do a little more trash work. Approaching him in a gentle and non-judgmental way should result in a better outcome anyway. My next inclination after I recalled these verses to mind and realized I had no excuse not to continue the work, was a wave of intense self pity. How carnal and worldly can I get? That has always been the second snare in my path to rebellion.. If pride won't get me, maybe self pity will. No, not this time, I have the ability to choose. I choose not to feel sorry for myself, and to remember the lowly service of Jesus, who made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Surely this small service of mine, which takes less than an hour each night, is far less humiliating and devastating than death on the cross. Perhaps it's the death of self, the death I need to suffer in order to do the least. And, if I am finally willing to do the least, maybe the best will follow.  
Permalink Comments (6) Unslumping Yourself in the Midst of a SlumpPosted Wednesday, July 23, 2008 (121 days 15 hours ago.) Viewed 30 times.
"When you're in for a slump, you're not in for much fun.
Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. That last sentence I am more than inclined to agree with, "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Learning to trust the Lord in the midst of difficulty seems to be the order of the day at times. I have learned that if we approach each day like children or sheep, trusting Him to lead us through into the light, we will always eventually find green pastures. As a nation, we have been blessed with more abundance than any nation on earth; this will continue as we trust in Him. As individuals, we must cultivate gratitude and allow His Word to unslump us in the midst of a slump. Seeking first His Kingdom simply means to look to Him, rather than looking at the problem. We must be realistic enough to face the problem, yes, but then we must be assured that the problem has an answer, and in seeking Him, the answer will come. "When you think about a problem over and over in your mind," writes Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life, "that's called worry. When you think about God's Word over and over in your mind, that's meditation. "If you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate. Just switch your attention from your problems to Bible verses." What is a slump? We learn in Ephesians 4 of people who walk in the futility of their own minds, having their understanding darkened. I think this pretty well sums up a slump, to live with a futile mind set, to allow worry to control our actions and our deeds.A slump is basically walking in darkness with no hope of things getting better. The answer, we are told, is to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. The only way to renew the mind is to meditate on the Word of God. The bible is full of rich promises and rewards too numerous to contemplate over the course of a day, week, a month, or even a year. These slump busters will propel us from the darkness into the light.. If you find yourself in a slump, contrary to the opening statement, unslumping yourself is not that difficult. Take a timeout, pray to a God who cares, choose some slump busters, and renew your mind with His Word. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2  .
Permalink Comments (2) Regaining the Faith of our ForefathersPosted Saturday, July 19, 2008 (125 days 15 hours ago.) Viewed 169 times. Would the United States today, be such a world power if our forefathers had not been men of faith and Christian values? With such tirades as we now hear from the politically correct and the godless, we must reexamine some of the truths of our past. The truth can still set us free. John Adams wrote: "Statesmen, my dear sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand." This statement will make you sit up and take notice. If religion and morality were not part of the principles employed in the creation of this great nation, there would be no liberty or freedom. How can there be freedom in a world where everyone does what is right in their own eyes, regardless of the cost to others? In another statement Adams wrote "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Without the boundaries and moral codes instituted by the mostly Christian influence in our nation, even our constitution would fail. Benjamin Franklin's words: " Whoever will introduce into public affairs the principles of Christianity will change the face of the world" still ring true today. The United States has changed the face of the world, because of our principles. If we deviate from those principles, the face of the world will be the worse for it. "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the bible," were words spoken by our first president, George Washington. Are you noticing a pattern here? Yes, our government was built upon a foundation of Christian biblical principles. No matter how much those who hate God scream, they cannot change this fact. Here are some quotes from John Quincy Adams: "The greatest glory of the American Revolution was this: It connected in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity." "Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the Foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?" What a claim that one is! The foundation of our government was laid upon the principles of Christianity. Can you hear the screams of the left wing now? There are too many of these quotes to place them all in this article, but any research into our past will uphold these facts. The deconstruction of our past by those who disagree with these principles continues every day, but they have, so far, been unable to destroy all of the documented truth that is available. We live in the greatest nation that has evolved in the history of this planet, and we must not allow our Christian heritage to be dismantled by those who wish us ill, or wish to change the past. Some are simply misguided, but others have malicious intent and they know that by destroying our foundations, they can bring about the fall of this country. Just like the World Trade Center, an impact in our midsection can be fatal. In 1830, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote: "I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors... in her fertile fields and boundless forests, in her rich mines and vast world commerce, in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good; and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." The Church in America holds the key. We must resolve to stand up to the barrage of half truths and misguided assaults. The time for taking a back seat in the arguments that face our nation is behind us. Let our pulpits flame with righteousness again, and the United States will once again be great.
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