Honestly thinking (& rethinking) about God, the universe, and everything in between

Tag: humility

Are You Holy or A-holy?

(11 Character Traits to Test Yourself)

I don’t cuss.

There’s no judgment there, as I hang around many different circles of friends and am never offended by those who do. But I made a personal decision decades ago to not make it a regular part of my vocabulary.

Those close to me are typically shocked if they hear me utter an occasional curse word; but they also recognize it was deliberate – either to make it clear I’m serious THIS time or to throw them off for fun.

Who was I to be the judge of people’s a**holery?

Thus, it surprised me several years ago when I had a series of vivid dreams where I drove people to repentance by calling them “a**holes.” And, yes, I would use the full word (if you want to fill in the asterisks). In one dream, I called a guy an a**hole and a demon came out of him.

Of course, all of us have those dreams where we wake up thinking, “that was weird,” and then move on in life. But these dreams seemed meaningful. I couldn’t shake the feeling there was a deeper message.

But what did they mean? Was I being called by God to start an actual ministry of telling people they were “a**holes?”

Looking at the world around me, there was certainly no lack of qualified customers. Religious people and fellow Christians were no exception. 

But who was I to be the judge of people’s a**holery? After all, I could think of plenty of times from my own life where I fit the bill. And how does one go about calling other people “a**holes” without becoming one in the process?

Furthermore, what exactly qualifies someone as an a**hole in the first place? Certainly, there were many out there I would give the label to who simply saw themselves as doing what is right. Was there some official “line” that separates the a**hole from the good? There’s an entire subreddit titled “Am I the A**hole” (AITA) in which people try to figure out if they have crossed that line. Opinions are often varied.

But are human beings who often act as a**holes and subject to their own biases really a good measure of the bad vs. good? It is my belief that our current culture wars (in politics, on social media, etc.) are a search for that mysterious line, with many self-assuredly proclaiming they are the official arbiters of it.

But who gets to be the final judge? Not me, for sure. If this was to be a ministry, I needed to know what God thinks? What standard does the Foundational Being that created, designed and operates the whole universe use to measure people? Continue reading

The Pursuit of Trump: How Your Choice Could be a Faithless Act

Our “hero” surveyed the landscape.

The enemy had the upper hand. His own troops quaked with fear. Many had deserted their posts.

The consequences were dire. Our hero’s once great nation was at war, and they were losing ground. The people’s future depended on the very choices he alone made today. 

Should they lose this battle, his nation faced extinction by a Pagan enemy whose culture was bent on destroying his people’s very identity as a chosen nation of the one true God.

The time for waiting patiently had passed. Something needed to be done NOW!

What appeared on the outside to be a faithful act turned out ultimately to be…faithless.

Thus, with no other choice, Saul did the one thing he could do offer burnt offerings to God.

But what was meant as an attempt to gain God’s favor in the midst of desperation was soon met with the greatest of rebukes by Saul’s spiritual advisor.

“What have you done?!” exclaimed the prophet Samual. “You have done a foolish thing. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you!”

The consequences of King Saul’s one single choice on that one single day were quite severe his kingdom would not endure (1 Sam 13).

What appeared on the outside to be a faithful act of Saul turned out ultimately to be…faithless.

Before continuing, let me be upfront by saying I am no less guilty of committing faithless acts. Scientists estimate that the average human makes about 35,000 choices per day, and I am quite certain that a large percentage of my 35,000 choices are committed out of faithlessness rather than faithfulness.

I am also quite certain I have been faithless at times when entering the voting booth or throwing my weight behind a political opinion. What I may have thought in the past were acts of faith, upon further reflection, turned out actually to be faithless.

But how does one determine what is “faithful” and what is “faithless?”

The Bible is full of stories of humankind committing both faithful and faithless acts, along with the consequences that follow. An examination of all of these stories reveals the following themes that are repeated throughout: Continue reading

XYZ: Your Arrogance is Showing

The World’s #1 Leading Expert on Arrogance Weighs In

As I have tried desperately to educate you all before, I hold the distinguished honor of being the most arrogant person in the world — which, of course, makes me the number one leading expert on the subject of arrogance.

Despite my superior article on the subject, I’m still continuing to see an extreme amount of arrogance throughout the world, and I am sure you all have been waiting with bated breath for me to weigh in once again.

But first, a story from my remarkable life:

What was intended as a beautiful and diverse representation of the entire student body experience instead became an open display of egocentric arrogance.

It was my last year of high school and the entire senior class of nearly 600 students had gathered in the gymnasium for its final assembly of the year … and final assembly of our secondary school life. It was a time for recognition awards and for celebrating the four years we had spent together. **

At one point our school’s vice-principal stood up to announce that two senior girls had managed to put together a slideshow for us to be able to look back fondly at those extraordinary four years. “Fantastic!” I thought, “This ought to be fun.” Continue reading

9 Signs You Might Be Arrogant and Not Know It

I am the most arrogant person in the world.

Really, it’s true. Don’t believe me? Then clearly you aren’t nearly as intelligent or wise as me to be able to figure it out.

And being the #1 most arrogant person in the world, I figure that makes me the world’s topmost leading expert on the subject.

The truth is God has really been kicking my butt over the last few years (especially this last year), progressively revealing my level of arrogance. Like peeling layers of an onion (each producing a few more tears), I’ve come to discover areas of egotism I never knew existed before.

We are all familiar with the braggadocios, narcissistic personality types – the ones who very openly make every conversation and outward action about themselves. But what we are not as acquainted with is the much more subtler symptoms of pride – the ones that often go undetected but are ultimately just as destructive to you and those around you.

In discovering these signs, I’ve learned that they are detectable when you analyze your motivations and ask yourself if they are centered around one or more of the following: self-importance, self-preservation, or self-empowerment. Each one, of course, makes it all about you. And as I’ve come to find out, I’ve made life a lot more about me than I previously realized.

The thing is, while you will never surpass me in arrogance (not even close), it’s possible that as you analyze the three motivators in relation to your life, you might discover you too have arrogance and didn’t realize it.

Thus, I present to you at least 9 Signs You Might be Arrogant and Not Know It: Continue reading

Wash

Photo courtesy of Chiceaux Lynch

Photo courtesy of Chiceaux Lynch

It was the most demeaning of tasks, performed by only the lowliest of servants – often slaves in the households of the rich.

The roads were dirty and dusty and likely covered with animal dung.

Thus, with nothing but sandals to wear, one’s feet were often coated in filth.

The hosts would, consequently, provide a bowl of water for cleansing – particularly before a meal in which the guests would lean back on the floor and prominently display their feet.

In ordinary households, guests would wash their own feet; but in wealthier households the lowly servants and slaves would crouch before the honored guests and wipe the grime off for them.

Thus an extraordinary thing happened this particular day when the I Am –

…the very law that had the power to form an entire universe with numerous galaxies billions of light years apart

…the law that had existed since before the beginning of time and would be there to the very end

…the law that was responsible for light and energy and atoms and the creation of life itself

…the most authoritative law there ever was

– rose, removed its garments, wrapped a towel around its waist, bowed down before each of its disciples and proceeded to wash their feet. Continue reading

© 2025 Honestly Thinking

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑