“BLESSED is the servant who does not regard himself as better
when he is esteemed and extolled by men than when he is reputed as mean,
simple, and despicable.”
Francis of
Assisi (1181—1226) died at a young age by today’s standards, yet he achieved
much as action-oriented minister of the Lord, who inadvertently founded the
Franciscan order. A man of conviction,
and a man clearly of not much pride, these words of his are a kick in the pants. How many of us can keep our heads when we’re
praised, yet don’t despise the event of people despising us? Yet this is the quality of the blessed — that
precious spiritual state of the purveyor of the Beatitudes. Evenness of temperament is indeed a great
blessing of character. To take no
account of what truth there may be in being praised or the lies expressed in
being humiliated, that there is the greatness of being even tempered. It’s something to nurture and cherish.
“WOE to that religious person who is elevated in dignity by
others, and who of his own will is not ready to descend. And blessed is that servant who is raised in
dignity not by his own will and who always desires to be beneath the feet of others.”
How pride
precedes the fall. And how sad is it
when we’re riding high on the praise of others, and yet a turn of events takes
us into sullenness when that praise turns quiet. It’s hard.
It’s hard work when we realise that others’ praise was so valued we ran
on it as if premium high-octane fuel that was pumped out free of charge. Oh Lord, this is such a hard word for my
prideful spirit. But it is oh so good
that a word like this speaks into the propensity to ‘raise dignity’ rather than
fall ‘beneath the feet’. Thinking of the
Lord, who “emptied himself,” and “humbled himself,” and “considered himself
nothing,” and “died even on a cross,” we have humility’s example ever and
always before us. (Philippians 2:5-11)
“BLESSED is the religious person who feels no pleasure or joy
save in most holy conversation and the works of the Lord, and who by these
means leads men to the love of God in joy and gladness. And woe to that religious person who takes
delight in idle and vain words, and by this means provokes men to laughter.”
Imagine company
that is immediately and cogently sacrosanct.
I met a young man I mentor recently and he vocalised this very thing — “Why
don’t we speak more about the things of God after church.” I couldn’t help but agree. But I also need to lead from the front, though
I find many conversations I enter I’m most often led. I recognise this is an opportunity of tact,
conversational skill, and obviously passion.
We speak most about the things we love most.
“BLESSED is that servant who does not speak through hope and
reward, and who does not manifest everything and is not ‘hasty to speak,’ but
who wisely foresees what he ought to say and answer. Woe to that religious person who, not
concealing in his heart the good things which the Lord has disclosed to him,
and not manifesting them to others by his work, seeks rather through hope of
reward to make them known to men by words — for now he receives his reward and
his hearers bear away little fruit.”
How we
short-change ourselves with monotonous regularity. We lack the faith so often to leave the
rewards with the Lord. But in being hid
with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3) we’re commended for keeping hidden what was
always meant to stay in our prayer closet.
We’re blessed when we keep holy secrets.
We’re blessed when we’re quick to listen, slow to speak, and even slower
to anger. Those holy secrets were
purposed always for holy contemplation, for holy consideration, and for holy
commendation into others’ lives.
***
I have fully quoted
the short article of Francis’s in the fervent hope that these admonitions would
fall upon my very being and make a difference in me and make me wise. It is not God’s fault how far I fall short.
Biblical
Christianity is not about theology or ethics or evangelism or anything else as
much as it’s a lifestyle of following Jesus.
© 2016 Steve Wickham.
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