Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Shallow and Profound

Stumbled across this yesterday, even though it is "supposed" to be read in November. This is excellent.

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow aspects of life are not ordained by God; they are ordained by Him equally as much as the profound. We sometimes refuse to be shallow, not out of our deep devotion to God but because we wish to impress other people with the fact that we are not shallow. This is a sure sign of spiritual pride. We must be careful, for this is how contempt for others is produced in our lives. And it causes us to be a walking rebuke to other people because they are more shallow than we are. Beware of posing as a profound person— God became a baby.

To be shallow is not a sign of being sinful, nor is shallowness an indication that there is no depth to your life at all— the ocean has a shore. Even the shallow things of life, such as eating and drinking, walking and talking, are ordained by God. These are all things our Lord did. [. . .]

Never show the depth of your life to anyone but God. We are so nauseatingly serious, so desperately interested in our own character and reputation, we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.

Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.

Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest, November 22

I immediately knew who I needed to email it to, but God reminded me that I had a few beams in my own eye.

He's been doing that a lot lately.


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6 comments:

  1. ipad applicationsFebruary 22, 2011 at 2:49 AM

    interesting post.

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  2. JoyceFebruary 22, 2011 at 6:15 AM

    I love the writings of Oswald Chambers....there is nothing too deep in my day today but now I'm rethinking that notion.

    Happy Monday!

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  3. Kathy ... aka NanaFebruary 22, 2011 at 6:44 AM

    I had the same reaction to this past Sunday's sermon at church ... thinking just who needed to hear that message when God reminded me that I needed to hear it as well.

    Thanks for sharing that message from Chambers ... I love his writings.

    Have a terrific Tuesday.

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  4. Skoots1moMFebruary 22, 2011 at 10:11 AM

    oh, oswald, you shoot straight!

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  5. saraFebruary 22, 2011 at 2:14 PM

    Oswald Chambers was my Aunt's favorite. And it was my very first devotion book, given to me by her. Always a good word!

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  6. quillyFebruary 24, 2011 at 4:21 PM

    You know, so often when I give someone Spiritual advice I wonder to myself, "Who do I think I am ...?" I fear coming across as one of those individuals who think I am all that and God's gift, too. For that very reason my first thought upon reading this was, "Oh gash, she wanted to send that email to ME!"

    ReplyDelete