22 Jan 2000

Man Pleaser

Submitted by theshovel

Don’t kid yourself … this is the way we have learned to operate in this world. The sooner you realize it the sooner you can get out of the rut. Deny it and it will continue to be your mode of operation. I know this from personal experience … not just from years ago, but from my experiences today. Do you think you don’t care what people think about you? No, you’ve only learned to cope … a necessary function as long as you live by the same elementary principles as the rest of the world. It’s easy to disregard the opinions of those you deem as inferior, but what about those you view as equal or better than yourself? Now that’s a different story, isn’t it? The simple fact is that you will spend your whole life and all your resources trying to prove that you are “worthy” … that you are a somebody. You may have been raised to prove yourself by your material possessions, your intellectual superiority, your abilities, your accomplishments, your brute strength, your wit and cunning, your appearance, your heritage, your employment, etc. You may try to show it by being the best of the best or the baddest of the bad or the smartest of the smart or the richest of the rich. As long as you can be the king of your little world you will be satisfied. If your world is too big for you then you will whittle it down until you are able to control it. Well, keep your whittling knife handy because you’re gonna need it on your endless search for satisfaction. What if Jesus really did accomplish satisfaction for us in what He did? What if it really makes no difference what somebody thinks about you? What if you have nothing to prove? What if you could really accept others through the reality of Christ? I’m talking about the difference between TRYING to convince yourself that opinions don’t affect you and the reality that those opinions have no real power. I’m talking about the difference between your belief that you need to stand up for yourself and the reality of knowing that someone ALREADY did. I’m talking about the difference between viewing yourself by your own adopted set of values and standards and viewing yourself as you REALLY are in the scope of Christ, and Him crucified: Dead or Alive? Old or New? Sinner or Saint? Of the world or of God? I know that it SEEMS more complicated than that, but that sense of complexity is only an illusion. You are either trying to PROVE to your world that you are “somebody” or you are resting in the reality that He has made you somebody. So, how much wasted effort are you engaged in right now? Until next time ….. scoopfully yours, the shovel (aka “Jim”)

Comments

Re: Man Pleaser

theshovel - August 26, 2011 - 2:22pm

These comments were all transferred over from the original website

Posted: January 23, 2000 by Bruce

Jim,

This PLEASES me!

Posted: January 23, 2000 by Jenny

Dear Jim,

Hi, thanks again for another scoop! Of course, you know I never do any of that stuff!!! Yeah right, I could write books on it.

Just wanted to mention the movie "Instinct" with A. Hopkins and Cuba Gooding, Jr. If you have seen it......remember the scene when he (A.Hopkins) puts Cuba's life on the line and Cuba finally realizes the only thing he took away from him were his "illusions". If you havn't seen it, you will appreciate the movie. The Lord used it to speak "freedom" to me. Much of what you are speaking in this latest scoop.

We are here in Kentucky. You and your wife should visit some time. Any time. We have snow. Today's high was about 27 degrees. You may not remember, but you met me and my hubby Mark at Tree once. We are about 20 minutes from Cincinnati. Just give us a head's up.

Hope all is going well for you in Florida. Thanks again for the scoop. Blessings to you and yours.

IN Christ,

Posted: January 23, 2000 by Candis

Well. as usually my friend! you just get started on a great spree of words of wisdom and bang.. leave me like a dangling metahpor!! lolol.

I know that you will continue this vien in a future shovel letter. but it was just getting so darn interesting it was hard not to get to continue. I think here the situation is yes, I can acccept what God says about me, but how do I accept what God says about them??If only we could know that God approves of me, that it is the most important approval of my whole life and all other approval hinges on His approval.

I want to be liked, and loved and accepted by others around me, I love the approval. I do not even hate the disapproval now knowing that it is God's view and opinion of me that is the reality, and not mans. On the other hand I can see that if this is God's approval of me, then it surely must be his view and opinion of others., then I am set free from the need of others approval.. not the desiring of it, but the need , as it is his approval that surpasses all approvals.

I do not know if this is making any sense., but the bottom line is that God's approval of me, and knowing it is the same approval he has for others, allows me to treat others as God sees them, and not as I would see them through my own eyes. and to be glad that not only did he redeem me but he died to redeem all others also. Where is boasting then? Where is division then? where is the need for dissension and strife? Under the law, under self righteousness.

Was thinking on the need for man to need to see credentials. I think Paul addressed that matter when he wrote of need for letters of commendation of him, or he of them. It came to me that it is like getting a pedigreed dog. Beautiful to look at and nice to boast of, but the purchase price was way to high, as the dog could be dead tomorrow and I would be left without the dog or the pedigree. The cost of maintaining the pedigreed dog is higher just to insure the longevity of the dog, and they seem to be so finicky in the food department. They also seem to end up with quite a few emotionally related illness's. They also have been known to turn on the master who feeds them. Now take that old mutt, who is just darn happy to have a human hand petting them , and place to curl up in satisfaction of the day , and will eat anything that is set before them, and expects nothing in return. He in turn offers nothing to his master but unconditional love. Credentials? Give me the mutt speaker anytime!

love you brother,
grace and peace in Christ,

Posted: January 23, 2000 by Cindy

Jim,

Just had to tell you that last shoveletter really hit home for me. I've lived my whole life trying to live up to everyone else's expectations and always falling short. I needed that message. And I am one of the few who only has the e-mail only set-up. So, I truly do appreciate that you have set up the automatic e-mail send messages.

Thanks so much. I pray someday my husband will find as much in the shoveletters as I do. You are a blessing.

Love,

Re: Man Pleaser

luvin - May 14, 2012 - 11:00am

I know that it SEEMS more complicated than that, but that sense of complexity is only an illusion. You are either trying to PROVE to your world that you are “somebody” or you are resting in the reality that He has made you somebody. So, how much wasted effort are you engaged in right now? Until next time …..-Jim You know I don’t think that those who are in Christ don’t know this. It is just that we have been trained to STRAY from it because of law teaching that would imply that we are out of fellowship through it. In other words, if we somehow come to the bottom of our lives through the Spirit of wisdom in us and we surmise that we have been trying to ‘prove’ we are a somebody to this world, then we have religion sticking it’s logic in there proclaiming we are unclean for it. So then we get side tracked into the ‘cleaning up’ of the old stuff and get enthralled with THAT instead of moving on with new life as it REALLY is for us who are in Him.[the resting in the Reality THAT he HAS MADE YOU SOMEBODY]