Dog dung

Pretty interesting title. It is a great visual for me, though. Dog dung is nasty. It smells. I hate, hate, hate, cleaning up dog poo. I actaully feel like I am going to wretch when I have to clean it up. That is what it is to be. Dog dung. See, I am weary of it. The self-promotion, the long lists of credentials, the self-inflation, the superiority, the undermining of other brothers and sisters in Christ for the sake of fleeting, personal advancement. I am sorry. It doesn't belong here. Not among us. Not among family. The narcisicm doesn't belong among God's children. He died for us. It's His goodness, His righteousness, His grace, His holiness that is to be lifted up and praised and glorified. NOT US. Weary of the talk. Weary of listening to countless amounts of people who have a deep need for personal gratification. To be viewed as special and significant because you are for serving Christ. Okay, not weary. Wretching.

Personally, here's where I am at. I want to know Him and be known to the world as someone that is known BY Him. That is enough for me. God, you are enough.
Dumping the rest in the trash. Tearing it up.

"Steer clear of barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they're interested in is appearances-knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The REAL believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it. We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it-even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials...

The very credentials these people are waving around as special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash-along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, ALL things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus, my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant- DOG DUNG. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him." Phil. 3