I got an amazing quote from a precious sister in Christ today and the wheels in my mind started spinning and that means my fingers started itching to write (er, type) it down. Here is part of the quote:
"St Augustine prayed, "O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself." Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul's faith in God. Don't say, "I must explain myself," or, "I must get people to understand." Our Lord never explained anything - He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves."
Oswald Chambers.
I pulled out my handy dictionary again and looked up a couple words:
Lust - and inordinate craving or overwhelming desire
Vindicate - to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof; to justify or prove the worth of.
I never really thought of vindication being a bad thing until reading that quote. Of course, it's not so much the vindication as it is the lust of it. Ugh. I hate the word lust. It makes whatever is attached to it seem so dirty. But, I think that is exactly the point Augustine was trying to make. When we have an overwhelming desire to vindicate ourselves it is dirty...it is sin. It is pride. It is me-centered.
Quickly to follow, in my mind, are my excuses: But I am not supposed to be a stumbling block to others...so I need to explain myself. I am to make the gospel look attractive and people might not understand why I did what I did and so I just need to clear my name so God looks great in my life. That incident might have left doubt or questions in the mind of someone else...I need to clear their suspicions by sharing the truth of the issue...that will justify me in their eyes.
Of course there is Biblical truth to what I said about wanting to adorn the Gospel (Titus 2) and that we are to live in such a way as to not intentionally cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble (I Cor. 8). Others should look at our lives, see the good work God is doing, and even ask us about the hope that we have (I Peter 3). We are called to walk in the truth.
BUT, as I think through my excuses...often, at the heart of them, isn't a desire to adorn the Gospel...it's a desire to look good to others. My vindicating words spring from sinfully wanting to people-please instead of please the Lord most of all. It removes faith and trust in God...that He will work out all things for good (Romans 8:28) and that, ultimately, HE is the one Who justifies (Romans 8:33).
There is a time to speak up and a time to be silent...even when they are words of vindication!
"St Augustine prayed, "O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself." Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul's faith in God. Don't say, "I must explain myself," or, "I must get people to understand." Our Lord never explained anything - He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves."
Oswald Chambers.
I pulled out my handy dictionary again and looked up a couple words:
Lust - and inordinate craving or overwhelming desire
Vindicate - to clear of accusation, blame, suspicion, or doubt with supporting proof; to justify or prove the worth of.
I never really thought of vindication being a bad thing until reading that quote. Of course, it's not so much the vindication as it is the lust of it. Ugh. I hate the word lust. It makes whatever is attached to it seem so dirty. But, I think that is exactly the point Augustine was trying to make. When we have an overwhelming desire to vindicate ourselves it is dirty...it is sin. It is pride. It is me-centered.
Quickly to follow, in my mind, are my excuses: But I am not supposed to be a stumbling block to others...so I need to explain myself. I am to make the gospel look attractive and people might not understand why I did what I did and so I just need to clear my name so God looks great in my life. That incident might have left doubt or questions in the mind of someone else...I need to clear their suspicions by sharing the truth of the issue...that will justify me in their eyes.
Of course there is Biblical truth to what I said about wanting to adorn the Gospel (Titus 2) and that we are to live in such a way as to not intentionally cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble (I Cor. 8). Others should look at our lives, see the good work God is doing, and even ask us about the hope that we have (I Peter 3). We are called to walk in the truth.
BUT, as I think through my excuses...often, at the heart of them, isn't a desire to adorn the Gospel...it's a desire to look good to others. My vindicating words spring from sinfully wanting to people-please instead of please the Lord most of all. It removes faith and trust in God...that He will work out all things for good (Romans 8:28) and that, ultimately, HE is the one Who justifies (Romans 8:33).
There is a time to speak up and a time to be silent...even when they are words of vindication!
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