Because You Really Have Nothing

We think we got it made and it's all because of our hard work---though we deny it for pretended humility. We say it's God's grace, though somewhere back in our minds we whisper it's more than grace, it's our talent and hard work. High status and material possessions are rewards for our efforts, the right to what we think we own, trophies we show off and brag about as the "fruit of our labor." Our success, we assume, is due to the same. I often hear successful folks say how they worked hard for it. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

We have to understand some things about life before we congratulate ourselves with our successes which we're apt to do, no matter if we know we're failed creatures---fallen. We know we're fallen, but we admit it only when we warn others about judging us, saying "nobody is perfect." To save face when we screw up. But after we overcome the humiliation and start achieving things again, we assume greatness and take credit for everything. If we really understand life, it should make us entirely dependent on GOD for everything. I mean, ENTIRELY DEPENDENT, and not claim any credit for our successes.

Even the verse saying "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is crystal clear that the capability is Christ's not ours, It's only through HIM. We have not added or contributed anything, we deserve no credit, so we have nothing, zero, nada. It's all GOD. Even Jesus emphasized that all the powerful things he did were credited to the Father. "Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work," [John 14.10].That was the human in Christ speaking.

All that we have accomplished you have done for us. [Isaiah 26.12]

The Pride of Life

Which means, we don't have anything to do with any form of success because it's all solely by God's grace and mercy. A hammer used by a carpenter cannot, in any way, claim anything for itself. But we claim credit anyway, because of our stubbornness and imagined greatness. And pride. The same pride Lucifer had which he also used to deceive Adam and Eve when he lured them of the prospects of becoming like God.

Nonjoiners always remember 1 John 2:

15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. 

15Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 

The pride of life is the root of all misjudgment, aside from other wrong assumptions. When you think your success is due to your hard efforts and ability (worse is if you think you've become better than anyone because of them) you start using that measure when relating with or sizing up people. Eventually, everything will boil down to the money-value system. Self-pride promotes it. You look down on people you think are not successful just because they have no money or are losers---because money has become the measure of success. The pride of life is grounded on "pride in our achievements and possessions," says first John. 

But regular, close communion with GOD will not just teach you genuine meekness but impart Jesus' own brand of meekness to your spirit. Iron sharpens iron. Without intending to, you become merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful, and his criteria on who deserves his mercy is different from how proud people view mercy. They have their own standards of who deserves their mercy, and it's a stringent and exclusive one.

Understanding God's mercy makes it crystal clear that you really own nothing and all credit belongs to Jesus alone. That's basic knowledge among true nonjoiners. You treat people as God treats them with his inclusive grace and mercy. Your grace and mercy even include those deemed "worthless" because they fall short of people's standards and expectations, especially churchy people. 

God gave us the biggest help we needed and which we didn't deserve, when Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. We should, instead, extend a helping hand even to those we think do not deserve it. Why? Because we realize we really have nothing in life that is not given us out of mercy.