Signpost Church

Every person who becomes a follower of Christ at some point is possessed by a strong interest in knowing Him. Who exactly is this Person? One doesn’t know, but there is an insatiable desire to find out.

The Lord asked His initial disciples, “Why are you following Me?” Did they understand their strange attraction to Him? John the Baptist had pointed them in His direction: “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Did they grasp in that moment the full import of this man being the Lamb of God? Much later, they remained confounded by His talk of sacrificing His life. All they knew in the beginning was that their welfare was somehow dependent on being connected to Him, and they were being pulled to Him like metal to a magnet.

This attraction to Christ is the continuing mark of every true disciple. When others leave Him, they cannot. “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:67,68).

Let others defect because of some offense with His word. Let others find fault with Him for some dealing with them. To the Christ lover, He remains the pearl of great price. They not only love Him, but they love His law, and nothing offends them. He never ceases to be good and wonderful in their eyes. Others tire of the Christian life; they don’t – because it is Christ Himself who fascinates them. He never becomes dull; there is always some new height or depth He is ushering them into.

Those who love the Lord don’t merely desire to spend the day with Him. “They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day …” (John 1:39) The one thing they desire is to dwell in His house each and every day, to behold His beauty, to speak to Him and to hear from Him. He is their Magnificent Obsession.

“Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?” (John 1:38)

— Magnificent Obsession

Who doesn’t want a partner that is “head over heels” in love with them? What woman would ever tell her husband; or, what man would ever tell his wife: “You’re too much in love with me?”

Can we be “too much” in love with Jesus? He doesn’t think so. We are called to love the Lord our God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. Some people become uncomfortable around those who appear to love Jesus too intensely. They are “fanatics.” “Jesus-freaks.” Who knows – maybe they are “cultists” of some sort. A little religion on Sunday is okay, but why get carried away?

Never be ashamed to be wildly in love with Jesus. Don’t be a fanatic about your church, your religion, your particular doctrines and practices that you think make you closer to God than others. That is cultic. Be known as purely a sold-out lover and devoted follower of Jesus Himself.

You can’t hide it when you’re really in love with someone. There’s a glow about you; you talk about your beloved; you cling to them. It also becomes evident when that love is not there. You can “go through the motions,” but it’s known, especially by the person you’re supposed to be in love with.

Jesus knows those who are religious and those who really love Him. “I know thy works …” (Rev. 2:2). He knows when you’re more about “CHURCHianity” than CHRISTianity. Eventually, everyone else finds out as well. Maybe the love relationship was never there; maybe it was left.

Be hot or be cold. Be on fire for God; or admit you don’t love Him. God is not interested in “show marriages.” He is passionately in love with us. He wants us to be passionately in love with Him.

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” (Revelation 2:4)

— Can You Be Too Much in Love?

Humility is such a beautiful thing. No wonder the humble find grace in God’s sight. A proud person becomes offended when corrected. Instead of appreciating another’s desire to help them improve, they become indignant because the correction communicates they are “not good enough” in the eyes of their critic.

Such pride is repellent. Even the one who would give good counsel fears to give it because of the response they anticipate. “He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot” (Prov. 9:7). Neither his wife nor his servants could correct the proud fool, Nabal. “… For he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him” (1 Sam. 25:17).

The proud fool is quick to get angry at any who call into question their actions. “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath” (Prov. 21:24). They are scorners because they are too proud to receive any correction. “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke” (Prov. 13:1). The great tragedy is that proud fools ultimately harm themselves because of their unwillingness to be “fed” by those who have wisdom to impart to them. “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom” (Prov. 10:21).

Wise people are always becoming wiser. Why? Because they are humble enough to know they have so much more to learn. Simple fools, who are humble, don’t stay fools for long. Scorning fools “die for want of wisdom.”

“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” (Proverbs 9:8,9)

— How Fools Become Wise

Is there any virtue more extolled in scripture than humility? Is there any vice more condemned than pride? Humility attracts God’s favor over one’s life; pride repels His involvement. His blessings abound to the humble; His hands are off the proud. Humility is the path to exaltation; pride leads to disgrace and destruction.

With such promise of good or evil before us, why wouldn’t we cherish every opportunity to become humble, and hate anything that stokes pride? Man’s desire for honor has him constantly gravitating toward the sin of pride. If he is to be kept from such an insidious vice, God must engineer all things to keep him humble.

Surely, it irks us to lack the glory that impresses men’s eyes. We would be strong and smart and successful. We would be great and greatly praised, not small and despised. We bemoan all in our nature and circumstance that brings us low, that speaks of our weakness, ignorance, and failure. What we fail to realize is the hand of God in these things. The thorn in our flesh is God given. Our lack is the key that unlocks His fullness. When we are weak, He can become our strength. When we are fools, He can become our wisdom. When we are base and despised, He can become our glory and our beauty.

Our outlook and “in-look” begins to shift when we come to the glorious revelation that whatever humbles us is ultimately good. No, God doesn’t hate us when He lets us be humbled. His chastening upon us is a token of His love, to bring us to grace and glory, to crown us with the honor that rightly comes when He is glorified in our life.

Would we be God’s workmanship, or the product of our own hands? God would be our Potter. We cannot make ourselves humble, nor excise pride from our heart. We are not called to impose a regimen upon ourselves designed to produce humility. God provides each of us with enough opportunities to embrace this chief virtue. May we have eyes to see what God has designed for our good.

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.” (Proverbs 18:12)

— Whatever Humbles Us Is Good