Humility, Prizes and Pride

(This is a reflection of my son, Yuri, during his NSC 2011 experience in Roxas City, Capiz on October 15-22, 2011)

Perhaps, it was pride. No, not probably. It was pride. Pride that – as a former delegate of Soli Deo Gloria Christian Academy (SDGCA) for two years – I had earned seven medals – five in the Junior Student Convention (JSC) 2009 and two in the National Student Convention (NSC) 2010. I took up a first place medal in the JSC and two fourth place medals in the last NSC. I felt like I was a medal-winner, and that was my weakness.

I remembered Sir JP, our P.E. teacher. About a month before the NSC this year, he shared about how he related his experience of a dislocated joint (I’m not exactly sure) to the story of how Jacob wrestled with the stranger. He related how God injured Jacob because, according to the Bible, he was a very strong man and was probably proud in this area. He said that God gave him his condition in order to rebuke him of how proud he was in the area of sports. Then, a week before the NSC, he shared another humbling experience. It did not seem as significant to me as it did after the convention.

First day. We, the Living Heritage Academy (LHA) - Homeschool delegates, flew to Iloilo City along with three delegates from SDGCA. I was glad to see them, and (I‟m pretty sure) they felt the same about me. At least there were no feelings of extreme competitiveness and the like. Then we rode a van to Roxas City. We stayed at my father‟s friends‟ home overnight.

Second day. We moved to La Hacienda Hotel. The Philippine Christian School of Tomorrow (PCST) was already there, as were some of the other LHA delegates. Eventually, we met our teammates. Later we had our appearance check and the submission of arts and photography entries. I knew very well what to expect from other schools, but I was still amazed at what they came up with. I even tried to conceal my entries as much as possible. The submission of these entries was a real test. We could not submit without certain stickers on our „passports,‟ and we had to wait about four hours to get them. Then, we submitted them, but we discovered that we could not have plastic covers on our entries, so we took them off, dismantling the photography matting. We had to manually fix them for about another half-hour. We returned to the hotel hungry and tired later that night.

Third day. Spelling. It was alright. I was – or felt – very prepared. Probably, Kuya Arky (my coach) would have said different, but I still felt prepared. I was not nervous, and we even kept talking before the beginning of the competition. At the end of the competition, I discovered that I had at least four mistakes. I felt a little nervous, but I tried comforting myself by saying, “Many others probably had even more mistakes than you.”

Probably.

Next, we had music events. I quickly changed and went to the room where the solo piano events were held. I sat down and listened to the contestant before me. He delivered an excellent medley of a very fast version Sonatina (which I knew very well), Majesty, and another piece whose name eluded me. Then, it was my turn. Nervousness struck me for the first time in the competition. I ended up making many mistakes. I felt bad. Then, I had my duet with Jotham, another LHA delegate. I was frustrated that the violins kept getting out of tune. We quickly practiced and tuned our violins. Then, we listened to a piece performed by two Koreans, a pianist and a flutist. I was impressed by the flutist, but the keyboard on which the pianist played was too soft. I felt confident that we would play better than them. Our performance, from what I could hear, ended up lackluster. Then, we went back to the hotel. We attended the rally night at the Capiz Gym that evening, where things really kicked off. The news of awarding of pre-submitted events the following day made my heart beat faster. I was proud of the entries we submitted, and God would teach me a lesson in that area.

Fourth day. Bible Bowl (a Bible quiz). I felt a little unprepared for this event. Last year, under SDGCA, I and four others took the fourth place out of perhaps fifty schools. I wondered how this year would turn out as I represented LHA. Kuya Arky told us to pray after each question. When the competition began, we got many questions correct, but we began getting streaks of wrong answers after. Some were painfully and regretfully close. And here, I began praying in my mind, “Lord, if you want me to be humbled, let me be humbled.” A part of me did not want Him to answer, but I knew that He really would. We ended up at the sixth place along with PCST and another school, so we needed a tie-breaker. Jotham kept reminding us to pray. Before praying, I said, “Do not pray that we would win; pray that God would bring out His will for us.” God‟s will was that we would lose the tie-breaker and end up seventh, one place short of a medal. I was disappointed for a while. SDGCA took the fourth place again, and perhaps a shadow of jealousy rested in my heart for a while. Nevertheless, I congratulated the members of their team and Pastor Guilbert Enriquez, administrator of SDGCA as well.

We went to the Capiz Gym again later. There was singing and a few videos and then, the awarding. I expected to take a few medals back to the hotel, but no, I did not. Yet, I did not feel bad about it. There was PACE Bowl the following day, and six more events which had not been called yet. We went back to the hotel and I kept talking with God of how my pride was my downfall. But I had not completely learned my lesson. We practiced with a delegate from Manila, Julius Ocampo, who would join our PACE Bowl team. I said in my mind, “A first place medal would make up for the seventh place in Bible Bowl.” That mindset would lead to our loss the next day.

Fifth day. PACE Bowl (an academic quiz). As an SDGCA delegate, we took the fourth place. Still harboring that feeling of pride, I joined the others as we went to Capiz Gym for the PACE Bowl. We had reviewed like crazy last night. The competition began, and we missed the first question. Then, as it went on, I returned to my prayer the last day: “Lord, if you want me to be humbled, let me be humbled.” And I was; we had a final score of twelve out of thirty questions. We could have probably gotten more answers correct had we not been careless. We did not make it close to the top six. SDGCA took fourth place again. We went to them and congratulated them again, and they did the same to us.

Later we claimed our photos and artworks. I heard that a fellow LHA delegate had five finalists for art. We went to claim our photos and I was again disappointed (although I had not really expected to place) to find that I was not a finalists. Tim, another LHA delegate from Davao City, had one finalist, and we actually shouted for about five seconds in the room.

Then, at the rally, awarding came again. I took no medal again but I did not feel bad. Jotham took a first place medal in the clay sculpture. Another LHA delegate took five medals in painting, and I remembered how I did the same at my first year in SDGCA. But I did not feel bad about it, like I usually did for the past two conventions.

As we rode a tricycle going back to the hotel, Mama called me. I shared to her my prayers and how I felt. And, for the first time, after talking to Mama, I felt like crying. Not for the medals. I prayed, “Lord, what if all of my prayers for humility were still out of my pride? And when you brought me through these experiences, what if I was not willing to accept? What if I had focused everything on the medals, never on You?” I wept inside as rain poured, but I managed not to cry outwardly. When I remember that night, I still feel the same way.

At the hotel room, it dawned on me. I probably would not bring home any medal. I said, “You know, Lord, that’s just fine with me. I prayed that, if You wanted me to be humbled, I really would be humbled. And I was. Still, thank you, Lord, for breaking me and teaching me in the area of my pride.”

The next day, athletics were held. We had three delegates for these events. I just briefly prayed for God’s will for them to prevail, and God willed that they would not place in any of their events. At the rally, I won no medal once again. It was over. I had not won one medal out of my ten events.
The last day, we had fun going around the city. At the rally, Mr. Danny Thomas, the pianist for the NSC, shared his testimony. I listened as he shared how he had grown proud in the area of his talent, and he was rebuked repeatedly of how he lived his life and made decisions without asking God’s guidance and will. I felt no more bad feelings of not winning. Then, we closed the NSC.

It was over. I earned no medal, but I learned many lessons. That being said, I am thankful to God.

God’s Indescribable Gift - Part 2

(part 2 of my meditation on 2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Thanks to my friend Andy Spriensma, whose thoughts I have borrowed a lot here.)

God’s indescribable gift does not only make us generous. It also keeps us humble. Here we are going to focus on that word “indescribable.”

We need to understand that when Paul mentioned about God’s indescribable gift, he was referring to none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. He is God’s ‘indescribable gift.’

In preaching and teaching the Word of God, what is it that we do but tell of this gift. We describe this gift. And that is the proclamation of the gospel, the preaching of the good news.

Pastors like me have been trained to be preachers of God's holy Word in the pages of the Bible. The whole Bible reveals this gift of salvation. Preaching is especially the telling of that gift!

Probably no one understands this better than the apostle Paul himself. He has traveled vast portions of the known world of his time preaching the gift of Jesus Christ. He has proclaimed the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, slaves and rulers, friends and foes. Yet he says that this gift from God, our salvation in Jesus Christ, is “indescribable” (ESV says, “inexpressible” while KJV “unspeakable”).

Now the word “indescribable” has an interesting background. First, it appeared only here in the whole New Testament. Second, it is not found in the Greek version of the Old Testament or in any Classical Greek literature. It was until later, near the end of first century, that an early Christian bishop used the word.

So did Paul just make the word up? If so, ironically here, Paul cannot find a word to express the fact that he cannot fully express or describe the gift of God in Christ.

Thus what Paul really meant to say in using that word is this: We cannot fully express God’s gift. Jesus Christ cannot be described in exhaustive detail. Even the paraphrase The Living Bible translates this verse this way: “Thank God for his Son - His Gift too wonderful for words.”

Now while the Living Bible is not an accurate translation of the original texts it grasped, however, the right meaning of the text. Paul is saying that the gift of God is too glorious and too wonderful for words to do full justice to it.

Paul has seen this gift in the person of Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. The Holy Spirit has revealed to him the great plan of salvation. He has entertained visions from heaven. He has witnessed the power of Pentecost in his work and he can testify that God’s promises are being brought to completion.

Because of this he has an even greater burden to put all this into human words. But certainly God’s glory cannot be contained in the Greek or the English language, not even in my own language or in any language of the world.

God’s marvelous works of grace cannot be limited to any language. The mystery of the gospel cannot be completely decoded in human language. No matter what distinctions or systems we make of it, the gift of salvation, the Son of God, is “indescribable.”

So in order to keep us from bragging how great and exhaustive our knowledge of Christ is and how effective teachers or preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ we are, Paul is reminding us that God’s gift is beyond our words.

As teachers or preachers, it is always enticing to hear from students and parishioners how good we are in explaining and applying the Word of God in their lives. That is why preachers and teachers of the Bible must remember that however splendid their sermon or teaching is, no matter how good their points are, no matter how well they have excelled in their interpretation and how creative and articulate the presentation of their ideas is, still, their glorious sermon or lecture pales in comparison to the glorious Gift they are called to proclaim and teach.

Jesus Christ and how He has saved us from our sins, how He was sent from heaven above according to the great electing love of God the Father to come down and rescue us from our sin and misery, to suffer in our flesh, and to die upon the cross for our sins, is too wonderful and too humbling for words.

Yet we speak about Him who was raised on the third day and who declared victory over sin and death, over Satan and the whole world, who has all the power and authority given to Him, and who is our only Savior and our great God. This is the Gift we speak about. And what or who we speak about will always be far greater than how we speak about Him.

This serves as a warning to all of us who think we already know Jesus Christ and do not need to study the Bible or hear about Him more. It keeps us humble because no matter how long we have been a Christian or no matter how long we’ve been reading, studying or teaching the Bible, still our knowledge of Christ is still lacking. We don’t fully know our Lord and Savior yet. Even the apostle Paul admits that God’s gift, our Lord Jesus Christ, is ‘inexpressible,’ ‘indescribable,’ He’s beyond description.