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“He must increase, but I must decrease.”            John 3:30 It’s interesting to examine the life of the apostle Paul as he grew in the grace of God. Not only did he come to a better understanding of God Himself, but he also increased in his humility with regards to his own greatness. Take a look for yourself: In A.D. 49, when Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, he introduced himself as Paul, an apostle. Then, 7 years later in A.D. 56, he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:9 that he was “the least of the apostles.” And then, in A.D. 61, he described himself in Ephesians 3:8 as the “very least of the saints.” Then finally in A.D. 66, as he’s coming to the end of the road, he speaks to young Timothy and describes himself in 1Timothy 1:15 as the foremost of sinners. You see, there was a direct correlation between Paul’s growth in Christ and his humility. The more he knew God, the more he realized just how far short of God’s grace he fell! As you grow in your relationship with Christ, you’ll too realize how great Jesus is and how much you fall short of that greatness. But instead of letting that discourage you, let it create in you a deep sense of humility, knowing that while you’ve been given much more than you deserve, Jesus still gives abundantly! AS YOU WALK WITH CHRIST, GROW IN YOUR HUMILITY BY RECOGNIZING HOW UNDESERVING YOU ARE AND HOW GREAT GOD IS!

Beauty for Ashes

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.”
Isaiah 61:2–4

All of us, who are old enough, remember where we were and what we were doing when we first heard of the horrific terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. The sight of the World Trade Center towers collapsing into rubble was one we will never forget. For a time, there was only a hole in the ground where the foundation of the towers had once stood. Then a new structure, even taller than the destroyed World Trade Center at 1,776 feet, the Freedom Tower, was erected near the same location. Though it does not make up for what was lost, it represents a new start and a new hope for the future.
Many Christians have experienced great loss and suffering in their lives. There is very real pain that comes from living in a fallen world, filled with both evil and sickness. The notion that those who are committed to following Christ will have an easy path may be a comforting one, but it is not taught in Scripture and not seen in history. Instead we have stories of loss, illness, financial difficulty, and even death for the faith. But God does not view our tragedies through human eyes. He sees the larger purpose and has a plan to use even the worst things we endure for good—if we remain faithful and follow Him.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

God is able to make beautiful things from the ashes of the worst disasters that we endure.