The world wants Christians to be unsure of themselves. They will often act irritated and even angry when we speak with boldness about the Word of God.
The world wants us to be as unsure of our opinions as they are of theirs.
When we are confident, sure footed and demonstrate resolve to follow and speak that which we believe, the world will see it as arrogance, because they view confidence in one's beliefs as arrogance.
After all, in the mind of the world, no one can know for sure about anything. Those who think like this want us to use language such as; "I think or I believe." As believers in Christ we can confidently say "I know", as we quote what God said.
I have been in contact with people who have actually raged and laughed at me for saying "the Holy Spirit" tells me things all the time." Those things never violate the Scripture, but the direction for specific life experiences is clear. I know the difference between my own ideas and when it is the Holy Spirit speaking, most of the time.
This thinking and confidence is intolerable for a world full of fantasy and uncertainty. In their minds any expression we have must be framed in "ideas" or "a little doubt."
One of the most irritating things about the sold out Christian is that they know what they know without doubt and even worse they can admit when they don't know something.
The world hates confidence and resolve. They will display much arrogance, but that arrogance is necessary to feel a sense of control since they are not sure of anything. Those who know what they know have no need to feel superior to others, their confidence is in Christ, not their elevated status in life.
The world is deeply invested in feelings more than facts, in expressions of fantasy more than truth. These superficial mentalities serve only to build pride in those that are engaging in the easiest form of expression, that nothing is real unless you want it to be and everything is based on momentary feelings. It validates whatever they want according to their latest emotional sensation.
1 John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Job 21:11-15
"They send out their little boys like a flock, and their children dance. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. They say to God, ‘Depart from us! We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’"
Because the world thinks they are always right, in their minds, even though they really are never sure about anything, they can easily dismiss their own errors when they are exposed, simply by claiming they never said or did that. These people have very selective memories. Everything is constantly moving and changing, nothing is real and everything can be denied.
The world disrespects those who know what they believe and where they are going. We see this all the time, the more confident we are, the more we are targeted for defeat. Narcissist hate with a passion anyone they cannot control. A confident person sees through the tactics of the narcissist, therefore they cannot be controlled.
When Christ is in control of the believer, then the world cannot control their thinking, this is frustrating to the world, they hate being controlled but want to control everyone else.
Romans 16:17
"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them."
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 "17 “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”…"
Children in our culture are ruling their homes rather than their parents ruling there and women are taking over much in government and churches. This is a curse according to God, a punishment.
Isaiah 3:11-13 "…11 Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, For what he deserves will be done to him. 12 O My people! Their oppressors are children, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths. 13 The LORD arises to contend, And stands to judge the people.…"
It is vitally important that the born again believer constantly refresh their minds with the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:26-12 "26 to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.…"
I heard the story this morning from someone on a video, of the elephant who is being trained to stay near his trainer.
The way the trainer did this was to place a chain around the leg of the elephant so that he felt tethered to the trainer. The chain was on long enough that the elephant felt deeply connected to the trainer, so much so that when the chain was removed the elephant remained with the trainer even without the chain on his leg.
Then there is the story of the shepherd who had a lamb who would wander off all the time. The solution for this wandering lamb was for the shepherd to break the legs of the lamb and carry the little guy on his shoulders all the time until the lamb healed. After healing, the lamb would never leave the protective side of the shepherd even though it was the shepherd who broke his legs in the first place.
I am convinced these are life lessons from which we can glean some wisdom.
When we spend a lot of time with controlling people we eventually give up our personalities and convictions to keep the controlling people happy, thereby becoming just like the controller. Accepting their ways and even acting the way they do.
God made it clear that we ought to surround ourselves with those who desire the same thing we do, that is to walk with Christ in truth. Otherwise we will find ourselves giving up our convictions at least to some extent, to be accepted by those who care nothing about our conviction or the Word of God. And worst of all we might find ourselves giving up God's truth.
If we are deeply connected to Christ through prayer and Scripture reading, it is unlikely that we will become like people. We will be thinking with the mind of Christ while acquiring the strength from Him and His Word no matter what comes against us.
When we resist the narcissist in an argument, we only make them stronger.
Our strength comes when we walk away, we will not be feeding those who love to fight. Our strength in the Lord not in other human beings and not in winning an argument.
Psalm 29:11 "The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace."
Matthew 5:39 "39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;"
We will be in a roller coaster ride of uncertainty if we trust in people. When we trust in Christ there is a steady flow of wisdom and peace. Stop the "group think" and think with the mind of Christ.
There is a way to tell if someone is humble or prideful.
When you describe to someone how they have hurt you, asking that they please stop treating you in this way, you will see pride when they rage with anger. From then on they will do mean covert things against you in an attempt to cause us to become angry. If you become angry then they can feel justified in treating you disrespectfully because of your response to their antics.
When a humble person is confronted by someone who says they were unkind, the humble person will feel embarrassed and apologize. Humble people hate to harm others. If they have unknowingly done something unkind, they will want to make it right.
Those who walk with Christ do not engage in covert sly attacks directed at one person whom they think will be a good target.
Kind and loving godly people enjoy blessing everyone, no matter who they are, they are more likely to remove themselves from contentious people than engage in a fight with anyone.
When we see someone who chooses covert unkind attacks to cause hurt in others, that is the real person, the nice persona others see is phony. A truly kind person does not do mean things in private or toward those they do not enjoy, they are kind to everyone all the time, even their enemies.
When we refuse to engage in the games of the narcissist, when they know we have figured them out, then we can expect for them to run away., but their gossip against you will continue.
Proverbs 28:1 "1The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion. "
Narcissistic liberals are not content to speak and act according to their own belief systems, they must treat with contempt those what do not fall into their particular dictates.
Those who preach "freedom" the loudest are often those who do not allow other to be free to operate according to their own conscience.
We see this often in the lives of the narcissist even in the churches. Rather than using reason and Bible study, they employ the tactics of intimidation, mocking and exclusion to cause harm to those who do not obey them.
God clearly told us in His word that we are to reason together, this means when there is disagreement we ought to go to the Word of God and prayer to evaluate things together.
When we find ourselves in a group that will not discuss things, but rather expect blind obedience to their ways, often not Biblical ways, they cause more harm than good, making a form of legalism more important that God's Word.
Watch out for leadership within any gathering that will not allow questioning or challenge without the consequence of rejection.
When I left the Catholic church there was a sense that all pressure from domineering and judgmental leadership was in the past, only to discover that it is present in all religions and even in Christianity where there is much self exaltation.
Humility has become rare in the apostate church, in its place sits arrogance and self promotion, the reason the gatherings have become social clubs full of levity and entertainment. The leaders are so full of themselves that they need the accolades and praise of those in the congregation.
I have a hard time believing that these self promoters spend much time in prayer and confession of their own faults, when they have such a need to be loved by the people.
When we are sold out to Christ, He is our motivation for everything, especially the preaching of God's truth. Whether or not the people will be pleased is not even an issue, preaching truth and being led by the Holy Spirit is everything.
John 12:42-44 "42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. 44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in Me does not believe in Me alone, but in the One who sent Me.…"
