Who Me?–3 Yes, You Ray

Enjoyed visit with Gretchen in Orlando

Healthy self examination has been the theme of these last posts. An interesting phenomenen happened yesterday in my time of solitude with God. It was as if God said, “Let Me help you experience about that which you are writing.”

I had written in my journal about feeling inadequate in my speaking lately and it wasn’t about stuttering. I felt that I was too quick to give answers in the small groups in which I participate and I didn’t feel like I was doing a good job giving the devotionals to the NNU basketball team. A gray clould seemed to be hovering over my head.

The Lord so gently told me (and who else would have said the following to me?), “Ray, you’re back into spiritual pride. You’ve memorized a few books of the Bible. You’ve been having a consistent Bible/prayer time with Me for 62 years. You’re back to thinking you’ve got all the answers for people in your small groups and you’re teaching at the basketball team, not sharing with them.”

I’m grateful that God is so gentle in his confrontations. No condemnation. Just a, “Here’s something Ray that is hurting you. Repent.” And that I did immediately. It was amazing to sense the gray cloud disappear instantly. God is so good.

I’m not an arrogant, cocky, prideful person. But I think spiritual pride is uglier. In a sense it is playing God in other people’s lives. So, back to the Scriptural theme of this series – Isaiah 6:1-8.: behholding God’s majesty and holiness. Seeing our “woe is me.” Repentance. Cleansing. Ready for service. Next post will focus on what we tend to do rather than repent.