Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. —Luke 6:37-38
The person whose ego has been slain will first of all be one who refuses to manipulate or control others. We all have a desire to control people and circumstances. If we have the gifts without brokenness, we use them to control others, to have a hold on them. If our ego has been slain, we won’t want to be manipulative; rather, we will want to set people free.
If we are truly broken, we won’t feel the need to teach others a lesson; we will refuse to send others on a guilt trip. We won’t judge them; we will set them free.
I will never forget the time I came home after a Sunday evening service. I felt I preached poorly and was devastated. The response was disappointing, and so were the crowds. I pleaded with God for an answer. Before I knew it my eyes fell on Luke 6:37.
Those words hit me between my eyes. I am a very judgmental person. I do not suffer fools gladly. I knew God was telling me that my critical spirit must stop. I also felt that God was promising me an abundance of anointing (which I have so longed for) were my attitude to change. I began reading that passage literally every day; it is a life sentence. I am not what I want to be, but my life began to change.
The person whose ego has been slain will refuse to mention anything that will make himself or herself look good, anything that will bring credit. Brokenness leaves no footprints.
We are all afraid to be broken—I am. I am afraid of what it will cost me. It is scary. I am afraid of how I will appear if I am broken. I am afraid, but I want it. I am too old to live another day without it. May God let it happen to all of us!
Excerpted from Just Love (Christian Focus Publications Ltd., 1997).
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.