The Lowly Among Us

 "Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation." Rom. 12:16

I have procrastinated and procrastinated studying this scripture.  The reason escaped me.  Maybe I wasn't ready for it's message until now.  With the rejuvenation of my last blog, I was eager to delve into it today though.  And I didn't have to go any further than this verse to receive the toe stomping message God delivered.  I'm going to go ahead and tell you that my toes are purple and yours might be too after you read it.  I do not apologize for truth.  If it stings, be assured I felt it too.  But there is beauty in repentance and the work the Spirit does through it.

Paul instructs believers here to be unified in our thoughts toward each other, not to be proud but to associate with the lowly (tapeinos), and to not think too much of ourselves.  

AGAIN with the self-absorption??  Really??
Didn't I just study this subject in verse 3?
Apparently, we are a self-absorbed people and need it over and over again...

I don't consider myself a snob.  Do you? But, of course, snobs never see themselves that way, do they?

The question God posed to me is "How do you associate with the lowly, Beth?"

OUCH

Truth is...I don't.  I sit in my pretty house, go to my pretty church, hang out with my pretty friends, and ignore all the lowly around me.  I justify this behavior with lines like: "I'm too busy to volunteer." or "I don't know where to help." or my favorite, "I am the prayer warrior behind the scenes."

I wanted a definition for lowly.  The Greek word is tapeinos meaning of low degree, depressed by grief, humble.  

The lowly among us are:
-The homeless who desperately need hope.
-The young women who are pregnant and battling the choice to have the baby or not.
-The addicts who need to know freedom.
-The prisoners who's choices have taken them from their lives to live away from family.
-The widow and the grieving parent. 
-They are our neighbors, people in our cities, in line with us in the store.  They are EVERYWHERE.

But instead of seeing these people as Jesus does, we avert our eyes, judge them in our minds, laugh at them behind their backs, thank God it's not us.  We are pious and high minded and UN-CHRISTLIKE.

Shame on us...shame on me!!

I believe, church, that the time has come for us to rise up.  To quit treating our salvation as entry into the country club, but instead to live lives so led by the Spirit within us that if He asked you to give everything to help a lowly person, we would do so without flinching.  Please know that I feel the sting of reproof and I don't intend to preach with out practicing.  I am taking the next 7 days to fast and pray over where specifically God wants me to reach out.  There are so many places in this city that could be:  The Homeless Shelter, The Women's Resource Center, Flowery Branch Children's home, The Bartow County Jail, etc.

I encourage you to pray too and let the Lord lead you to love the lowly YOU are to touch.  I believe Jesus was the greatest example of this for us, don't you??  He gave everything to touch me...and you.  Oh such grace!