http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4:22&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+15:31&version=NASB
I don’t knit. I probably could learn but have never had the slightest inclination to. But I know people who do. My wife Beth does. Not all the time. But on occasions. Usually when it’s going to be a gift for someone. She doesn’t knit for herself. Or for me. Thank goodness!
I do know enough about knitting that one of the prerequisites is yarn. (I will go to the head of the class for that one!) Either a skein or a ball. Of course, it is part of my inquisitive mind to wonder how long the average ball of yarn is. What do you think? The short answer is that it depends upon the type of yarn. So I did a search on the Internet and found out that Lion brand medium worsted yarn is 236 yards long. That would translate into a little over 700'. Now 700' might not seem that long but just go ahead and begin to unravel it. It would quickly fill up your room. And have enough left over to go into other rooms. And out the door. And down the street. The point is that a compact ball of yarn doesn’t look like much. Until you begin to unravel it. Then it seems like it is endless.
Lately I am beginning to think that self is a lot like a ball of yarn. By this I mean that it appears to have no end. For example, my ‘self’ gets impatient when it is forced to wait. For red lights. In doctor’s offices. For the sun to shine. I find that my ‘self’ can also be quite judgmental. “Look at what she’s wearing.” “Look at what he’s doing.” “I’m glad I never talk like that.” I find that my ‘self’ also gets hurt easily. Is prone to pride. Likes to be noticed. And a host of other very undesirable characteristics. It seems that no matter where I look, I see my ‘self’. I try to squash it. Hide it. Make it my servant. But it won’t obey me. No matter how hard I try I just can’t seem to come to the end of it. My ‘self’ is much longer, larger and stronger than I ever thought.
I do know enough about knitting that one of the prerequisites is yarn. (I will go to the head of the class for that one!) Either a skein or a ball. Of course, it is part of my inquisitive mind to wonder how long the average ball of yarn is. What do you think? The short answer is that it depends upon the type of yarn. So I did a search on the Internet and found out that Lion brand medium worsted yarn is 236 yards long. That would translate into a little over 700'. Now 700' might not seem that long but just go ahead and begin to unravel it. It would quickly fill up your room. And have enough left over to go into other rooms. And out the door. And down the street. The point is that a compact ball of yarn doesn’t look like much. Until you begin to unravel it. Then it seems like it is endless.
Lately I am beginning to think that self is a lot like a ball of yarn. By this I mean that it appears to have no end. For example, my ‘self’ gets impatient when it is forced to wait. For red lights. In doctor’s offices. For the sun to shine. I find that my ‘self’ can also be quite judgmental. “Look at what she’s wearing.” “Look at what he’s doing.” “I’m glad I never talk like that.” I find that my ‘self’ also gets hurt easily. Is prone to pride. Likes to be noticed. And a host of other very undesirable characteristics. It seems that no matter where I look, I see my ‘self’. I try to squash it. Hide it. Make it my servant. But it won’t obey me. No matter how hard I try I just can’t seem to come to the end of it. My ‘self’ is much longer, larger and stronger than I ever thought.
The former evangelist D. L. Moody was once asked about some disparaging remarks that a friend had made about him. Moody replied, “Right now I’m having so much trouble with D.L. Moody, that I don’t have time to criticize my friends.” Amen to that! The reality is that the biggest problem we have is not with others. Though we often think that. The biggest problem that we have us with us. With ‘self’. You see, self demands to be noticed. Pampered. Taken care of. Served first. And when it isn’t, watch out!
This is why it is so important to crucify ourselves every day. As I posted on March 25th, a verse that I say every day is Galatians 2:20. I like it because it deals with this very issue. The only way to take care of self is to kill it. Crucify it. And when we find that it has miraculously resurrected we crucify it again. And again. The reality is that our self is 100% opposed to God. And totally corrupt. As such it doesn’t deserve our pity or sympathy. It deserves to be killed.
So the next time that we see a ball of yarn I hope that we will remember that there is a lot more to self than what we realize at times. Self permeates everything that we think, say and do. The best thing we can do is to get rid of it. All of it. Today. And every day.
Lord, there are times when I am amazed (and discouraged) at how prevalent self is in my life. I see it everywhere I go. In my thoughts, words, and actions. It appears to be endless. Help me to crucify it. To put it to death. Every day. So that Your Spirit can have complete control of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
This is why it is so important to crucify ourselves every day. As I posted on March 25th, a verse that I say every day is Galatians 2:20. I like it because it deals with this very issue. The only way to take care of self is to kill it. Crucify it. And when we find that it has miraculously resurrected we crucify it again. And again. The reality is that our self is 100% opposed to God. And totally corrupt. As such it doesn’t deserve our pity or sympathy. It deserves to be killed.
So the next time that we see a ball of yarn I hope that we will remember that there is a lot more to self than what we realize at times. Self permeates everything that we think, say and do. The best thing we can do is to get rid of it. All of it. Today. And every day.
Lord, there are times when I am amazed (and discouraged) at how prevalent self is in my life. I see it everywhere I go. In my thoughts, words, and actions. It appears to be endless. Help me to crucify it. To put it to death. Every day. So that Your Spirit can have complete control of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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