Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy
Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with swarms of people declaring, “Hosanna in the highest!” A celebration of a leader they thought to be from God. Despite the fanfare and fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus’ entry signals the dawning of a kingdom marked by humility and peace.
The crowds that worship Jesus at the beginning of the week will call for his crucifixion by the end of it. Even his most faithful followers will desert him. This reality is a warning to us all that we can be our own worst enemies. We, too, can fail to live what we know, go astray through our intuition, and trust might instead of love.
Knowledge isn’t enough
Knowing something and living what we know are different. The crowd rightly proclaimed Jesus’ identity but failed to live out the values of Jesus’ Kingdom.
Humility is a key virtue of the Christian life. Jesus signals it by riding in a donkey, teaches it with ideas such as, “the son of man came to serve not to be served,” and embodies it by submitting to death to defeat death. Paul tells us to have the same mind as Christ, who humbled himself even to death on the cross (Phil. 2:3-8).
Humility is a key virtue in business and leadership, as shared by author Jim Collins in Good to Great or displayed by Abraham Lincoln. We know this, but living it is another matter.
So, how are you trying to transfer what you know into what you live? It’s essential to make a plan. Otherwise, your knowledge remains disconnected from your practice. A study was done with college students that illustrates this. One group was given the assignment to be done over break with little guidance. The other group was given the assignment and helped to consider when and where they would complete it while home for break. The second group far outperformed the first group. It will require a plan and follow-through if you want to grow in the practice of your knowledge.
Test your intuition
Be careful not to get pulled under by the current of your intuition. The crowd sensed that Jesus was from God, only to be swayed to calling out for his crucifixion. The crowd allowed their intuition or feelings to drive their behavior. Healthy one time and dangerous the next.
Our intuition or feelings can dominate us if we aren’t careful. Our feelings should not be ignored but should not be blindly followed. We have to learn instead to process our intuition and feelings. Why am I feeling this way? What might be shaping them? Do I see clearly?
It’s important that we recognize the need as well as have a strategy to test our intuition. I prefer a three-step process. First, I reflect on my feelings by asking myself the above questions. Second, I engage people I trust, sharing my reflections and asking them what they see. As well as if they think I might be ignoring or incorrectly interpreting something. Finally, I like to pray that God would guide me in the ways of humility, mercy, and love.
How do you process your intuition?
Trust the power of love, not might
We need the power of love, not might, to save us. The crowd following Jesus was hoping that his power would be displayed through might not love. When he chose not to overthrow the Romans and put the Pharisees in their place, the crowd chose to align themselves against Jesus. Despite this, Jesus still chose death to save those who condemned him.
“Love conquers all” is easily celebrated in movies, but we tend to put our trust in “might makes right.” We are our own worst enemies in this way. We ignore love (being kind, humble, truthful, and persevering) in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Instead, we seek positions of authority in our relationships to get our way. When we do this, we miss out on participating with God. Where in your life might you look to live via love right now?
Let us be reminded that we can easily be our own worst enemies. Instead, let’s live what we know, test our intuition, and trust the power of love so that we might experience God and reflect goodness and grace into the world.
