Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Our need for God may be proportional the poverty of our life.
Some years ago, I worked as a television engineer for a company which majored in placing large semi trucks at venues to transmit picture signals from a stadium to the world via satellite. It's exciting, demanding labor to fly from home to a distant city and build a studio in a vast field of players and fans, for a watching audience spread across the nation. Three to four times a week, we'd all hop flights to create entertainment for American TV. There is nothing wrong with the effort, the idea or the result. There was a problem with my heart.
The more I did of this kind of work, the more pride entered my being. It was obvious the honor God was allowing me...but I was twisting that honor into pride. Making money doing something far removed from the daily lives of fellow citizens robbed me of something far more needful in my heart. In my wealth, I left God, family, and the condition of my soul far behind.
That lasted a number of years as we traveled the nation broadcasting high profile events. There came a time of reckoning however and it was devastating.
One day I was working, the next, in the hospital with aortal fibrulation. My heart stopped being able to pump blood unless I stood up and walked...If I lay down, it would quiver at a rate of 200 bpm! I was going die in a matter of hours! Rushed to the hospital by ambulance, I lay in ER, helpless as a newborn.
Those next few days in ICU, between getting the fluids I needed, the rest my heart craved, and a time with God, I learned the arrogance of my life. It's not pretty seeing yourself helpless and dependent. After all, carrying 200 pound TV cameras isn't for the faint of frame! It wasn't the endeavor of my labor God wanted but the poverty of my spirit! "You do not realize that you are wretched!" I sure didn't!
God has a way of getting our attention if we truly want to serve Him! Putting us aside for awhile He restores our hearts through suffering so that we don't lose our way. I'm only weathy when He is who I honor, not Wayne Cook!
Lord, we thank You for the ways in which you restore our hearts. Help us to seek humility of spirit!
lonnie0429 on June 22, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Pride is such a subtle thing . . . Sneaks in when we are unaware. I used to pray often for myself and others that God would help us pursue excellence without slipping into pride. I need to renew the prayer. Thank you for the reminder and for sharing your story.