Why is it when I make a mistake I feel shame? That shame leads me to want to hide my mistakes, to make things better somehow, some way. My fear of making mistakes has kept me from doing so many things. I have a desire to not be wrong, to not fail, and this desire is so strong. I hate that I'm not the ideal of what I am (human), that my flaws far outnumber what should be different.
As human beings we have created standards of perfection, standards of acceptability, standards of beauty, standards of intelligence, you get what I'm saying.
When people fail to live up to the high standards they are considered average or sub-standard, below average or otherwise.
Average are those in the majority, those with high standards are in a minority and those below average are a minority as well.
We are taught to look upon those above average with desire that we too could be above average. We laud those above average even though we know they are not the majority.
These standards we set in beauty, in intelligence, in strength, in so many, many ways keep us focused on our FLESH selves.
If we keep our eyes on our own FLESH self we are subject to all the evils of the FLESH. The above average while envied, are also prone to the same evils. No human being escapes this tendency no matter the lot they've been given in life through birth and circumstances.
My tendency to want to be right, to be above average, to be the best of what humans can be is my FLESH nature. Accepting my flaws, my many failures, rather than desiring to be so much more in my flesh is to accept my creature status, leaving God to be all in all.
Within us is truly the evil of flesh, by the grace and mercy of God may we be born of the spirit, no longer ruled by our flesh.
Let us look WITHOUT -- let us look to GOD and not to ourselves!
All by the grace of our Lord and Savior- Jesus Christ- now and forever!
Excerpt- EJ Waggoner
'Looking Within.
Marcus Aurelius, who is accounted the best of the heathen philosophers, said: "Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig."
That expresses the spirit of all heathenism. Self was the supreme thing. But that spirit is not peculiar to what is known as heathenism, for it is very common in these days; nevertheless, it is nothing but the spirit of heathenism. It is a part of the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. It is but natural that they should put themselves in his place; and when they do that, it is a necessary consequence that they look to themselves, and not to God, for goodness.
When men look within, what is the only thing that they can see? "Evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness." Mark 6:21, 22.
Even the apostle Paul said, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." Rom. 7:18.
Now, when a man looks at all this evil which is in him by nature, and thinks that it is good, and that he can get good out of himself, the result can be plainly seen: the vilest wickedness must be the result. He virtually says, "Evil, be thou my good."'
As human beings we have created standards of perfection, standards of acceptability, standards of beauty, standards of intelligence, you get what I'm saying.
When people fail to live up to the high standards they are considered average or sub-standard, below average or otherwise.
Average are those in the majority, those with high standards are in a minority and those below average are a minority as well.
We are taught to look upon those above average with desire that we too could be above average. We laud those above average even though we know they are not the majority.
These standards we set in beauty, in intelligence, in strength, in so many, many ways keep us focused on our FLESH selves.
If we keep our eyes on our own FLESH self we are subject to all the evils of the FLESH. The above average while envied, are also prone to the same evils. No human being escapes this tendency no matter the lot they've been given in life through birth and circumstances.
My tendency to want to be right, to be above average, to be the best of what humans can be is my FLESH nature. Accepting my flaws, my many failures, rather than desiring to be so much more in my flesh is to accept my creature status, leaving God to be all in all.
Within us is truly the evil of flesh, by the grace and mercy of God may we be born of the spirit, no longer ruled by our flesh.
Let us look WITHOUT -- let us look to GOD and not to ourselves!
All by the grace of our Lord and Savior- Jesus Christ- now and forever!
Excerpt- EJ Waggoner
'Looking Within.
Marcus Aurelius, who is accounted the best of the heathen philosophers, said: "Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig."
That expresses the spirit of all heathenism. Self was the supreme thing. But that spirit is not peculiar to what is known as heathenism, for it is very common in these days; nevertheless, it is nothing but the spirit of heathenism. It is a part of the worship of the creature instead of the Creator. It is but natural that they should put themselves in his place; and when they do that, it is a necessary consequence that they look to themselves, and not to God, for goodness.
When men look within, what is the only thing that they can see? "Evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness." Mark 6:21, 22.
Even the apostle Paul said, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." Rom. 7:18.
Now, when a man looks at all this evil which is in him by nature, and thinks that it is good, and that he can get good out of himself, the result can be plainly seen: the vilest wickedness must be the result. He virtually says, "Evil, be thou my good."'