Tactics and Anti-tactics

"And all of you, clothe yourself with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 1 Peter 5:5

One of the more disturbing fairy tales is the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes." A ruler is duped into believing he is wearing fine clothing, when in reality he is walking around in his birthday suit. Talk about a fashion faux pas.

When it comes to Christian clothing, Peter reminded the early believers they should wrap themselves in humility. Anything less is indecent exposure.

Wear your skinny jeans or your traditional suit and tie, but don't step out into public without humility. It is the mark of a well-dressed Christian.

God's grace is given to His humble children, but He is opposed to the proud. Opposed is a military term describing a swift and relentless response to the tactics of an enemy. When pride leads you to take certain tactics that may meet your standards, but do not meet God's standards, expect His ant-tactics.

People think life is a game of checkers designed to let them shout, "Crown me!" They are wrong. The game is chess. When pride puts you on the wrong side of the chess board, get on God's side. If you find yourself trapped by your own tactics, it is probably your move. You are better off being a pawn in His hands, than calling every move in your own life.

Pride may be the easiest thing to see in another person's life, but it is the most difficult to see in one's own. It sometimes hides under a cloak of presumed piety, lording it over those who don't measure up to man-made standards.

Prayer and humility are best friends. Prayer improves your vision. It takes you out of the after glow of your own spotlight, and places you in a dark closet to allow The Spirit of God to expose what is going on in your life. Pride posing as piety will not allow you to see what God knows about you.

"If we learned humility it might spare us humiliation." Vance Havner

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, I attended O. M. Robert's Elementary School. One of the rights of passage in this school was the regular "Ringworm Test." Students would be lined up in the hallway, to wait their turn to be taken into a dark closet by the school nurse. She would turn on a "black light" and scan each child's head. If ringworms were discovered, the child was yanked out of line, medicated and forced to wear a clear, women's nylon stocking cap, until all the ringworms were eradicated. It was horrible watching this happen to someone. It also made you go home and wash your hair without being reminded by your Mom.

What you hide in the dark from everyone else, God will oppose and expose in public. Prayer cleanses the heart of pride. The humble go to the closet before they are yanked into it.

Peter urged the elders of the early church to be clothed in humility and show humility to one another. At the very least this means that the leaders of the flock should not be so quick to disrobe one another in public. It sets a bad example for the flock.

When I hosted Life Action Ministry in our church, one of the statements that was shared regularly by the team leaders was, "What the leader does in moderation, the people will do in excess." It was a call to be mindful that people are watching and listening to what leaders do and say. What's a leader to do?

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." v. 6-7

NOTE TO SELF: Prayer reveals your humility to place yourself under the mighty hand of God, and to leave the heavy lifting to Him. Anxiety over your future is a human reaction. Prayer is a humble response. Don't excuse your anxiety or embrace it. Cast it away.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!