Where we excel,

is the area of our greatest idolatry -- that which brings us artificial LIFE, causing us to be UNsatisfied with Jesus and His imputed excellence. This is the area where we are the most failure-avoidant, defensive, intense, agendafied, where our joy and peace are most circumstance-dependent, making us more difficult to live with, work with. People around us need to give us lots of grace, and these people can become unusually gracious over time. The intensity of our idolatry retrains THEM in graciousness. Or they can't take it anymore, and leave.

And we never know the strength of our idolatry until we lose what's precious to us, or it's threatened, so we are intensely focused on maintaining what is -- without joy and peace unless things go our way, momentarily. And without the benefit of Jesus in THIS life. To be pitied above all humans. Uncompelling to the seculars around us.

What can we DO? Pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, reactions, when we're alone and undistracted, so the Spirit hopefully EXPOSES to us, fresh glimpses of our idolatry rooted in our human-wisdom-dependency. So we can CONFESS and momentarily experience the bliss of Jesus-dependency, where He is ENOUGH. Ahhh. Taste of Heaven.

-- Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships, embarrassed to admit he's been married for 59 years to a lady Jesus has been growing unusually gracious over years of living with DAVE

To receive my Tuesday posts, email me, or subscribe to my blog: dumbsheepdave.com