Philosphy on the final item of a set

As I see it, there are two ways to view an item that is the last of a set of "roughly identical" items: as simply the final iteration or as something that must be, in a way, the punctuation and somewhat encompass all that came before it.

The former is a very easy method to choose. It's the same as what has been done before and it will be done again (but for the last time). It doesn't try to assess any of its predecessors, but simply adds to them. It says what needs to be said and is done.

The latter is a much more challenging task. It requires a careful contemplation (not to mention- memory) of everything before it. All the previous information must be summed up perfectly and, if necessary, abbreviated appropriately. It may add new information to the set or it may not, but regardless, the majority of its goal is to bring to an excellent conclusion all history of its relatives.

Quote about the Cell

[Posted more for the humor than the topic, yet posted nonetheless]

(Written about the first cell of a person formed when sperm meets egg)
"The mere existence of that cell should be one of the great astonishments of the earth. People ought to be walking around all day, all through their waking hours, calling to each other in endless wonderment, talking of nothing except that cell...
     If you like being surprised, there's the source. One cell is switched on to become the whole trillion-cell, massive apparatus for thinking and imagining and, for that matter, being surprised. All the information needed for learning to read and write, playing the piano, arguing before senatorial subcommittees, walking across a street through traffic, or the marvelous human act of putting out one hand and leaning against a tree, is contained in that first cell. All of grammar, all syntax, all arithmetic, all music...
     No one has the ghost of an idea how this works, and nothing else in life can ever be so puzzling. If anyone does succeed in explaining it, within my lifetime, I will charter a skywriting airplane, maybe a whole fleet of them, and send them aloft to write one great exclamation point after another, around the whole sky, until all my money runs out."

~ Lewis Thomas (Scientist and Physician)

My thoughts:

Simply put, can you imagine what the world and our testimonies might be like if we took the above quote, replaced any reference to "that cell" with Christ, then followed it?

A lesson in humility

Preface: This post does not by any means claim to be a comprehensive and complete description of my thoughts on the subject. I simply read through II Corinthians 12 today and felt compelled to write about the subject. If you have not read (or even if you have read) II Corinthians 12, I urge you to read it before you read this post so that you may gain a better understanding of what it is I am saying here.

There are some people that I have come across here at Cedarville that simply proclaim God's glory while taking little credit themselves. I yearn to be one of these people. I desire to be not of this world and to only think about He who has created me to praise His glory. The thing that holds me back is that my outward image, which I have have worked so long to form, would be changed. And that change takes hard work.

One step I have made in that direction is to memorize one of the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards was a Theologian that had written down many (70) resolutions about how he would live his life. My favorite (and the one that I have to work on the most) is #8. It is:

"Resolved to act and to think as if there has never been someone so vile as I, as if I had committed the same sins as any other, or had the same illnesses or failings as others; and that I would not let this knowledge of others' failings promote in me anything but personal shame in myself, and let such an occasion be an opportunity to confess my own sins and miseries to God."

I am a horrible person. We all are, but (with the knowledge I have of myself that only I and my Creator can have) I am especially horrible. This resolution sums it up very succinctly and efficiently and I wish it were on my mind always. Every moment before I speak, I wish it were on my mind. But now I see an even greater summation of such thoughts. And should we be surprised that it comes from the very mind of God?

 "Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure...And [God] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

~ II Corinthians 12:5-7, 9-10

Can it be said any better than that? Even if we can guarantee that we speak the truth, we should refrain so that no one thinks of us higher than what he should. Even the VERY WORDS OF OUR MOUTHS should be stopped so that they don't cause us to be prideful. I can only wish for the "thorn in the flesh" that Paul had that caused him to remember to be humble. If I have such a thing (which I'm sure I do), then I must locate it and bring it to the forefront of my thoughts at all times. (One note- this passage is NOT saying that we should sin so that we can see that God's strength is stronger. For a repeal to that argument, see Romans 6. All of it.)

Please pray that I am humbled every moment of every day. Pray that God will break me more than I every thought I could be broken so that I may recognize (and, more importantly, proclaim) that His grace has been made known to me. Proclaim, not so that I may be brought higher, but that He might be made known.