E.G.O. (Edging God Out) by Margaret Slaughter

E.G.O. (Edging God Out)

 Humble Service in the Body of Christ

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” –Romans 12:3 NIV

I’m sure we all know someone who brags about everything.  They always have to ‘one up’ every story you tell.  Every statement or story begins with ‘I’.  And in all of that bragging, they never seem to acknowledge God for what they have, or what they have accomplished.  They have essentially become their own god.  That’s a dangerous place to be.

I was watching Pastor Carl Lentz, and he described ego as edging God out.  Merriam Webster says the Latin word for ego is ‘I’.  How appropriate.

What if this story describes you?  What now?  The answer can always be found in the Word.  The title of this passage says, ‘Humble service in the body of Christ’.  Humble is defined as having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance. 

-First, acknowledge God for who He is. 

-Second, acknowledge God for what He does. 

-Third, acknowledge that we are nothing, and we can accomplish nothing without Him. 

-Fourth, pray and ask Him to convict you each time you become your own god.

The Message version of Romans 12:3 puts it this way, “it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God.  No, God brings it all to you.  The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”

So, don’t ‘think of yourself more highly than you ought’, and edge God out.  Give Him the praise He is due.

Margaret Slaughter

“Where Is Your Compassion?” by Margaret Slaughter

³ As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ⁴ “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”  ⁶ They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. ⁷ They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” ⁸ Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.  ⁹ When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. ¹⁰ Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”  ¹¹ “No, Lord,” she said.  And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

John 8:1-11 NLT

I was caught in an indiscretion.  My accusers wanted me to be publicly punished.  They appointed themselves judge and jury.  Ready to persecute me.  They had no mercy.  No, this isn’t my life story, but God’s Word.  When you thought the story was about me what did you think?  Were you also ready to condemn me, or were you ready to show me forgiveness and compassion?

As the body of Christ, many of us have become like this woman’s accusers.  Devoid of empathy, sympathy, or compassion.  When someone is caught in a sin, or they confess a sin, we’re quick to quote the scriptures pointing out the punishment for the sin, but rarely the scriptures on forgiveness or God’s love.

How are we ever to grow the kingdom of God if we fail to restore our brothers and sisters in love?  There are many instances in the Word where sinners were shown compassion by Jesus.  In Matthew 7:12 The Golden Rule, we are called to, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”  If you want forgiveness, give forgiveness.  If you want compassion, show compassion.  Don’t be like the Pharisees.  Extend some compassion to the fallen, and restore them in love.

Margaret Slaughter

“Can You Hear Me Now?” by Margaret Slaughter

“And the Lord came and called as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’

And Samuel replied, ‘Speak, your servant is listening.’”

1 Samuel 3:10 NLT

Several years ago the cell phone company, Verizon, had the slogan, ‘Can you hear me now?’.  The ad guy would go all over the world, in the most remote places asking the person on the phone, ‘Can you hear me now?’.   The idea was no matter where you went in the world using Verizon’s service, you would be able to hear him.  Is your Father asking you that same question? ‘Can you hear me now?’

In our subject scripture, the Lord called Samuel four times!  Samuel heard the voice, but he had mistaken it for someone else.  By the fourth time, Samuel made himself available by responding, ‘Speak, your servant is listening’.

Is the Lord speaking to you?  Is He calling you to do something?  How many times will He have to call your name before you recognize His voice?  Four times?  Five?  How many times will He have to call your name before you make yourself available?  Don’t miss the call.  Be like Samuel by responding, ‘your servant is listening’.

Margaret Slaughter

“Jesus, Take the Wheel!” by Margaret Slaughter

“We plan the way we want to live,

but only God makes us able to live it.”

Proverbs 16:9 MSG

“Jesus, take the wheel!”  We hear people say it all the time.  I’ve said it myself.  Singer-song writer, Carrie Underwood even made a song about it:

Jesus take the wheel,

Take it from my hands,

‘Cause I can’t do this on my own,

I’m letting go,

So give me one more chance,

Save me from this road I’m on,

Jesus take the wheel

We say it, but do we really mean it?  What if we actually did let Him take the wheel?  What would our lives look like?

When I’m working on a project, I’m a planner. I plan, and plan, and plan again.  I have to admit, the times that I have relinquished control of any project to the plan of God, things have turned out better than I could have ever imagined.  We have to learn to strengthen our ‘faith’ muscle, and let go, and let Him take the wheel, trusting that His plan for our lives is better than anything we can come up with.

In the morning when you rise, try saying, “Jesus, take the wheel”, and mean it!

Margaret Slaughter

"The Blame Game" by Margaret Slaughter

“The man replied, ‘It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’  Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What have you done?’  ‘The serpent deceived me,’ she replied.  ‘That’s why I ate it.’”

Genesis 3:12-13

Has God ever told you something that you heard very clearly?  There was no mistaking it was from Him, for you, yet you disobeyed.  And when He calls you into account, you blame something, someone for your disobedience?  Then you’re just like Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 2, God gave Adam the instruction, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden – except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”  (Genesis 2:16-17) Now that’s pretty clear.  Eat it, and you will die.  Adam is alone with God.  There’s no one else on the earth, literally.  So there is no mistaking God is talking to him.  Eve is not created until verse 22.  So how was Eve to blame for Adam’s disobedience?

Ok, let’s get to Eve.  Your husband has relayed a clear instruction to you, directly from the mouth of God.  There’s only you and him on the earth, literally.  Again, no mistaking the instruction was from God.  Who does Eve blame for her disobedience?  The serpent.

Let’s not even explore how different the world would be if Adam and Eve had just obeyed God’s clear instruction.  But what blessings did they miss by lying and not accepting responsibility for their disobedience?  One we know for sure – they were banished from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23).  A lush paradise created by God.

⁹ If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.  (1 John 9)

Don’t play the blame game like Adam and Eve.  Confess your sins, and receive God’s forgiveness.

Margaret Slaughter

"Hello, My Name Is . . ." by Margaret Slaughter

“. . . you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9 NLT

What do you call yourself?  I’m not referring to your given birth name, but what you believe about yourself in the recesses of your mind.  The negative, degrading things you call yourself.  Fat.  Ugly.  Stupid.  Loser.  You know the names.  Stop It!

Let’s begin to replace those names with what God calls us:

Hello, My Name is ‘Royal Priest’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Hello, My Name is ‘Holy Nation’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Hello, My Name is ‘God’s Own’ – 1 Peter 2:9

Hello, My Name is ‘Child of God’ – John 1:12

Hello, My Name is “In His Image’ – Genesis 1:27

Hello, My Name is ‘Friend of God’ – John 15:15

Hello, My Name is ‘Justified’ – Romans 3:24

Hello, My Name is ‘Free’ – Romans 8:2

Hello, My Name is ‘New Creature’ – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Hello, My Name is ‘Chosen’ – Ephesians 1:4

Hello, My Name is ‘Holy’ – Ephesians 1:4

Hello, My Name is ‘Blameless’ – Ephesians 1:4

Hello, My Name is ‘Redeemed’ – Ephesians 1:7

Hello, My Name is ‘Saved’ – Ephesians 2:5

He thought you were so special, that He died for you.  Who’s report will you believe?

Margaret Slaughter

"The Other ‘F’ Word" by Margaret Slaughter

“For if you forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others [nurturing your hurt and anger with the result that it interferes with your relationship with God], then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:14-15 AMP

Forgiveness.  The other ‘F’ word.  The perfect gift if we’re receiving it.  But what about when YOU have to give it?  If we’re honest, it’s sometimes one of the hardest things to do.  Our flesh’s natural reaction is to get revenge.  Repay the offender.  However, that’s contrary to God’s Word.

‘But you don’t know what they did to me’, you say.  Unfortunately, God didn’t put an escape clause on this forgiveness thing.  It’s full on all or nothing!

‘But how many times do I have to forgive’, you ask?  Let’s go to the 18^th Chapter of Matthew and see what He says about that: ²¹“Then Peter came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? Up to seven times?’  ²²Jesus answered him, ‘I say to you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven.’”  Really?  Yes, really!

Our subject scripture explains that refusing to forgive “interferes with your relationship with God”.  It further explains “if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your trespasses.”  Essentially, if you expect Him to forgive you for your sins, then you are required to forgive others.

Now what?  Pray!

Matthew 5:44 NLT “But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!”

Romans 12:20 NLT “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

Philippians 4:13 NLT “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Margaret Slaughter