He made the statement "I can not entertain thoughts about myself that my Heavenly Father does not have about me".
Jesus said in Mathew Chapter 18 starting at verse 1:
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. [11] [a]
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
If you recall, Malcolm Muggeridge said of mankind:
"The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact."
Gents, I am a moron.
I feel and know at times that I am so bankrupt and out of credit in my very being that it bangs on my heart like an unrelenting drum.
The 3am questions and self reflection.
I am not seeking to be a martyr or "wow is me". I'm not looking for a pat on the back or shoulder to tell me I am a great man, a good friend.
But to ignore the monthly statement on my bank account to that reality that it is in deficit of gargantuan proportions is to play cutesier with my soul.
Why bring this up?
What's it got to do with men?
Simple really:
1. Show me a man that feels little to no shame and I will show you a man incapable of accepting the truth about where they stand with other people and in the world at large.
2. No shame leads to no ultimate meaning of your existence
3. Knowing how far you have missed the mark, provides you a place from which to find a provision for your malady. (secret - trying to get yourself out of your own hell hole is futile)
4. God thinks the world of you and I - after all you and I are made in His Image (Imago Dei - Genesis 1:26), we are His craftsmanship. But that doesn't mean we are God or as perfect as Him. It keeps me humble and grounded, but also hope that I am a WIP, being transformed and restored to His perfect design.
5. Hope for transformation and redemption.
This is not meant to be a downer topic.
There is fantastic hope and restoration and redemption and forgiveness.
I wish I could get away from myself at times. But the knowledge and having sensitivity that my Heavenly Father thinks the world of me and is standing on the sideline shouting and encouraging me to do better, to enter the Kingdom of God like a child, tells me even though I am a moron, I am a WIP.
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