BlackGospel.com - LIFEBEAT:SELF-DENIAL, SELF-RESPECT - TOO LITTLE OF THIS AND TOO MUCH OF THAT!- Black Gospel Music Clef

SELF-DENIAL : SELF-RESPECT
TOO LITTLE OF THIS AND TOO MUCH OF THAT!
by Qimmah Gillund (iamsanctuary1@aol.com)

The dictionary defines self as a person or thing referred to, with respect to complete individuality; one's own self. In short, self refers to personal interest or oneness.

Self-denial is defined as the sacrifice of one's own desires; unselfishness; an act or instance of restraining or curbing one's own desires. Thus, when you practice self-denial you are actively denying your own desire, or the tendency toward self-promotion.

Self-respect on the other hand is defined as a condition of being self-esteemed or self-honored. This compound word, self-respect, is defined as a person who honors or esteems, favors or gives special attention to and/or consideration of themselves.

To esteem anything is to evaluate it positively and hold it in high regard. At times evaluation gets us into trouble because while we sometimes win, we also sometimes lose. To respect something simply means to accept it. The person with self-respect simply likes her or himself. Self-respect is a trait of an individual who likes himself because of who he is, and not because of what he can or cannot do. Whether he is right or wrong, spiritual or carnal, competent or incompetent, he just likes himself. We all know how dangerous that can be.

It’s virtually impossible to see ourselves, especially as others see us. This is why it is necessary to have and help one another. We actually need each other, if for nothing else but balance. We may have a full view of how we look from the front, but if we sit in something that stains us in the back, we will need the eye of another to bring it to our attention.

So my challenge to you today is to examine the way in which our gospel musicians and artists are presenting themselves, and representing the church to the unsaved. We must take on the responsibility of being our brother’s keeper as Christ instructed. As we take a visual inventory of some of the gospel CD covers we’ll see some of the same content in the advertising that is used in the secular world. Now the church is duplicating the same media campaigns used to advertise the secular artist, for the gospel artist. I blame the church since the church has the responsibility to pursue and establish the Will of God in the Earth, as it is being done in heaven. Yet, there is little or no difference in the way some gospel artists, (and there are some exceptions), are representing themselves, as well as the church to the unsaved. Do any of these artists have an Overseer, or does the seer see? It seems that very few leaders have involved themselves with seeing over the flock of the gospel artist industry.

Do I think that this is important? Yes I do, and you would too if you realized that the music is being used to usher in the anti-Christ, as it was in book of Daniel. (Daniel 3:1-7) I make my point again with yet another question, how would you feel if you went to a hospital for medical care, only to find out that you were actually in a nightclub? Someone would be sued for malpractice and misrepresentation! Do you get the point now?

You may not agree that advertising has an important part in representing the church, but the outside world believes the church to be whatever they see represented in the media; newspapers, magazines, and unfortunately on CD covers. So don’t we have a responsibility to influence what the world see and believes about us? Right now the church is being taken very lightly because it has adopted so much of the world’s lifestyle. The world is in intensive care, and the church is in the bed right next to it! Is there a balm in Gilead; is there a physician there? Then why are not God’s people healed?

I’ve seen some CD covers lately that are so suggestive until I’m apprehensive of even listening to the music! You may say that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but you don’t go into an ice cream store expecting to get a good steak either!

Why is there so much self-promotion going on? What’s with all the carnal poses and seductive looks? And, for some reason, it seems that you can’t make a gospel CD today, without adding some secular tracks to it. It’s hard to tell exactly what is being promoted, and whose god is really being served. Somebody got it all wrong; the Bible says that our God is the God of all flesh, not the flesh of all gods! Everybody wants the Hollywood pomp and glitter look! Everyone wants to be a celebrity or better yet a gospel idol, patterned after American idol. Does anyone remember what God said about idols? Why can’t we just stick with the word of God and try to live by the principles of Christ? Why do we keep falling into the pit of compromise? Who’s minding the store?

The Truth of God’s Word--There is not one biblical principle in support of the concept of “self,” not for a Christian. It is commanded that the behavior type of selfishness not be exhibited at all. Believers should not possess such a strong sense of self, neither should we be self-promoted. Call me what you want, but the Bible is right so that means somebody else is wrong.

The conclusion of all of the scripture that addresses self, or respect reveals that both references are a reserved right of God and not man. God is the epitome of oneness and he alone reserves the right to be favored or given special consideration. This is directly relative to His sovereignty. Sovereignty allows you to be whatever you’d like, do whatever, whenever and however you’d like, for as long as you’d like, without penalty of judgment or reproach.

The scripture portrays Christ as a humble man, who made of himself no reputation. So where is all this self-glorification coming from? Aren’t we supposed to be following Christ? Christ had peace in knowing who he was, not by proving who he was. So why is his church competing with the world? We should be sharing the same peace of knowing who we are in kinship with Christ, if we are in fact living for him. God-consciousness is far more powerful than self-promotion. But we don’t want to embrace that because it demands that we crucify our self! Once we learn to accept, appreciate and function in the greatness of who we are in the Christ, we will become the most positive influence that has impacted the Earth since he walked here. Let us mark the perfect man!

What the Holy Ghost Revealed--When I studied the word self, it was by the unction of the Holy Ghost. At that time I became painfully aware that self actually represents flesh. Even when you reverse the letters in self, you will spell fles. Add the missing “h,” from his self or her self to complete the spelling. Reverse his self, and you get selfish!

Self is not an attribute of the Holy Spirit since the Holy Spirit identifies as one of the trinity. It does not exist independent. Only God alone has the right to self (oneness), and we belong to Him. For a Christian, self as we knew it is obsolete. We have God, and God respect, which is translated into respect and reverence for the God likeness we possess.

The actual fact is that without God we can do nothing. A true Christian follower of Christ has no sense of individuality, unless they have not fully surrendered themselves. A lack of progress in our spiritual life results when we try to bear all the costs ourselves, and actually we cannot. We are not at all self sufficient, but totally dependent on God for all things, if we are crucified with Christ. It is equally important for us to know that we are not to celebrate so much of who we are, but rather who we have become in Him. Until we learn to do so, we are yet walking in the darkness of a world from which Christ died to bring us out. It’s time to come out of the darkness into the marvelous light.

Minister Qimmah Gillund is a Holy Ghost filled Intercessor, Minister, Teacher, Singer, Songwriter, Musician and Church Mother. She served as an Adjutant for more than six years, traveled the U.S., and six countries, and has lived overseas. Prior to living abroad, she wrote a column for a Women’s Magazine, published out of Philadelphia. She taught weekly etiquette classes, Bible Studies and currently ministers at a weekly ecumenical prayer group. She received her BA, in that she is a “Born Again” Christian and her MA, in that she is “Master Approved”. Professionally, she is a Program Administrator in the Educational Assessment field.

- “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
1 Corinthians 15:10