Posts Tagged: 1 Corinthians 4:3

“On Resigning my Position as Editor”

On December 29, 2019 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

“. . . I don’t even judge myself.”  (The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:3)

You probably didn’t know this, but I am an editor.  However, I’ve decided to resign from the job.  Let me explain.

I don’t edit books.  I edit other people, myself, life itself.  I became aware of this just this morning.  It is raining, and I wanted to edit the rain right out of my life.

But wanting to edit the weather is a failproof prescription for being miserable.  I caught myself in this fruitless quest while I was doing my daily gratitude list.  I decided to write down in my journal that I was thankful for the rain.

Of course, I was not thankful for the rain.  However, as soon as I wrote down that I was thankful for the rain, I was thankful for the rain.  I listened to it pattering down on my Cape Cod ceiling window.  It was beautiful.

Then, today at church, the preacher spoke concerning the life of the Old Testament character Joseph, who had a lot of really bad chapters in his life.  But, as the pastor pointed out, every chapter comes to an end—even the bad ones.  And then, a new chapter begins.  He said that what he was doing wasn’t a sermon.  It was a prophecy that God had given to him for someone.  Well, I know that I was one of the targets of this prophecy.

I thought to myself, “Well I can’t live out this new chapter (whatever and wherever it is) if I’m too busy editing.”

However, I am finding it more difficult to quit editing than I had thought it would be.  Simply saying, “I quit!” doesn’t quite eliminate the habits of a lifetime.  I found myself continuing my function as editor, even since this wonderful rainy insight and the excellent word from God.  Several times, I’ve caught myself trying to edit my wife.  (How many times have I done that without noticing, I wonder.  I get irritated when she tries to edit me.  Why am I surprised when she gets irritated when I do that to her?)  I’ve tried to edit other drivers on the road.  I’ve tried to edit my little dog.

Well, the first step toward resigning from my tendency to edit is awareness.

Of course, I tend to edit myself as well.  Yet an author who has himself for an editor has a fool for both a client and an editor.  It’s hard to spot your own mistakes, and futile to try to spot others’ mistakes—unless you are their accountability partner.  Even then, you should tread lightly.  (See!  There I go again trying to edit you!)

One of the songs that our praise team sang together, spoke of “meeting the author of my life.”  I assume they were talking about God.  If God is the author of our lives, it is overwhelmingly likely that God doesn’t need an editor.  What God “needs” is for me to resign as editor, and cooperate in the story that is me.  God also “needs” me to be willing to show up for cameo appearances in the lives of others, not to be their editor.

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“Overcoming ______________ (fill in the blank): Breaking the Wizard’s Wand”  

On April 26, 2017 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Years ago, a Bible study group that I led was discussing how we tend to let other people define us.  This is especially the case when we are little.  In particular, parents, siblings, school classmates, teachers, and coaches have a huge influence on us.

One of the members of the study group used the analogy of a wizard.  Wizards have wands, with which they can wield a lot of power for good or for ill.  When we are little, we don’t have much (if any) choice about who has power over us.

However, as we mature, we ourselves actually are the ones who give people their wands, although we may not realize that we’ve given them power over us.

Then, this member of the group went on to say something I’ll never forget: “When we are adults, we have the right to demand that a wand be returned to us, if the wizard hasn’t used the wand for our good.”

So, here is what I sometimes do: I visualize a certain person to whom I have given a wand.  If I do not like the way in which they are practicing their wizardry, I visualize myself saying to them, “I need the wand that I gave you back.”

Then, I visualize myself breaking the wand over my knee.

A friend of mine (who is so insightful that he should be doing his own blog) said to me this morning, “Resentment gives other people a lot of control over us.”  Indeed it does!  Perhaps it would be helpful if I broke a wand named “resentment” over my knee.  Resentment is a wand that places me under an evil spell in a hurry.

Above all, as I have said in an earlier blog, I tend to resent myself.  I make a lousy wizard for anyone else.  But I’m not good at being a wizard to myself, either.  Paul said that he didn’t want the Corinthians judging others, and that he himself did not judge even himself (1 Corinthians 4:3).  Perhaps if I stopped judging myself, I would stop having so many resentments against myself.

However, no matter what you want to overcome, whether it is resentment or something else, it may be time that you broke some wizards’ wands.  That is why this post is entitled “Overcoming ____________.”  You fill in the blank.  Whatever evil spell you are under, you have the right to break the wizard’s wand.  Indeed, you have not only the right; indeed, you have the responsibility to do so.

And then there is God.  God is not a wizard.  God does not wield a wand.  Rather, God is a loving heavenly Father, who wants all of us to be free.  I believe that God will help you to identify the evil, controlling wizards in your life.  If you aren’t strong enough to break their wands, rest assured that God is able to do so.

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