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Happy Aloha Friday, Beloved. Today’s Bible verse is another selection from Proverbs.
Proverbs 13:10
KJV Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised [is] wisdom.
NAB The stupid man sows discord by his insolence, but with those who take counsel is wisdom.
“I’m sorry I said/did that. It was really stupid, and I didn’t mean it.”
Ever feel like that’s your theme-song? Or perhaps do you know someone whose life is based on them being “The World’s Foremost Authority?” Have you some experience with a person who is conceited and vain, and on top of that even brags about it? What makes people act like that? What is it like living with – or being – a person like that?
It seems that wherever we have to deal with persons whose high opinion of themselves makes them impossible to live with, we find them surrounded by controversies, arguments, discord, strife, contention, arguments, quarrels, disharmony, lack of agreement, and inconsistency in their values. They are arrogant and well known for their conceit, egoism, egotism, narcissism, vanity, hubris. For such people, self-interest is the basis of morality and moral judgment. An egotist takes up the practice of talking and thinking about himself or herself excessively because of an undue sense of self-importance. They mock others, and make themselves higher by forcing others lower. Their ceaseless insistence that they are always right, always the most important, always the center, always superior makes everything they say and do seem like long fingernails grating across a very big blackboard. They are forever accusing others of being stupid, foolish, ignorant, incompetent, and incomplete; in fact it is they who are all these things because they are the center of their universe – a very small universe, to be sure – but the only one in which they are The Supreme Being. In fact, accusing people of being wrong, stupid, ugly, ignorant, foolish, whatever – making accusations is their main was of asserting their importance.
And therein we find a clue as to why they cause so much disruption in the lives of other people. They are carrying on the “life-style” of the Accuser. I would like to string together several Bible passages here that talk about Satan and about the results of his accusations which arise from the egotistical boasts on which he depends.
Proverbs 22:10 Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
Isaiah 45:9 Cursed is he who has an argument with his Maker, the pot which has an argument with the Potter! Will the wet earth say to him who is working with it, “What are you doing, that your work has nothing by which it may be gripped?”
2 Timothy 2:23 But avoid foolish discussions with ignorant men, knowing–as you do–that these lead to quarrels;
James 4:16 But now you go on glorying in your pride: and all such glorying is evil.
1 Peter 5:5 And in the same way, let the younger men be ruled by the older ones. Let all of you put away pride and make yourselves ready to be servants: for God is a hater of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low.
1 Samuel 2:3 Say no more words of pride; let not uncontrolled sayings come out of your mouths: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, by him acts are judged.
Isaiah 14:12-14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High’”
In the Isaiah passage, the representation is not of Lucifer/Satan as “merely the Devil” but his working through and the finalizing of his plans through earthly kings and rulers who attribute to themselves divine honor and glory and who, whether they actually know it or not, rule in the spirit and under the promptings of Satan. The “Day Star” and “Son of Dawn” was the King of Babylon – or rather kings – seemingly all-powerful … if only in the confines of their little universe, the Earth. Yet even these immensely powerful humans look like little twinks (that’s half-a-twinkle) in the Light of the Son of Jehovah. Like the morning star which shines brightest in the sky just before dawn, they soon became invisible by the overwhelming light of the sunrise (read: “Son-Rise”)
This passage in Isaiah is also rendered as a description of the sin and fall of Lucifer, once a master angel but now the principle demon. Lucifer was cast down to “The Abyss” but – as the story goes – became the “Prince of the Air” because he hovers in the air over The Abyss causing havoc and disruption among all humankind with his wild accusations, temptations, and invitations to be as vainglorious as he is. He is the source of the war between our spirit and our flesh. He is the source of the wars surrounding us. Here’s how the Apostle Paul put it:
Ephesians 6:12 …For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Incidentally, I encourage you to look for and read “This Present Darkness” by Frank E. Peretti. Visit http://www.frankperetti.com/ for more details. There is some wonderful stuff available there!)
Satan is the principality behind the powers of corruption and sin in this world whether it be in our hearts, in our homes, or even in our governments. He is the driving force behind discord, strife, contention, arguments, quarrels, disharmony, lack of agreement, infidelity, inconsistency, discordant relationships, and unresolved issues. Whenever we seek to be divisive for our own selfish ends and will not give recognition to another’s needs, we are doing the Accuser’s work. All contentions, whether between private persons, families, churches, or nations, are begun and carried forward by pride.
Quarrels and clashes would be easily prevented or ended, if it were not for pride. Pride makes humanity impatient when we face contradiction in either our opinions or our desires, because of unmitigated arrogance – presumptuous affectation, and misdirected pride. Some of the words used to describe this tendency are conceit, egoism, egotism, narcissism, vanity, and hubris. All of these apply to Satan, the Accuser, known as Lucifer, the Devil, the Ancient Dragon, and “Old Scratch.” This is the fallen angel who was jealous and rebelled against God. He personified the sins of pride, envy, and selfishness. He wanted to be like God, even to be greater than God, never realizing he could not do that because he was not humble enough to be who he was.
Beloved, I know that when I cannot be humble enough to be the person God created, my life is filled with contention, anger, selfish pouting, conspiratorial dread, and (you guessed it) accusations against everyone around me. “The best way to get out of trouble is to stay out of trouble.” Easy to say; hard to do.
Unless you are willing to “take counsel,” unless you can set self-aggrandizement aside long enough to listen to the Voice of Reason – the Holy Spirit – you cannot stay out of trouble. True, there were and are many saints and righteous people who were temperamental and frequently involved in controversial decisions and processes even to the point of martyrdom. The difference in their lives is that they were interested in working for God instead of becoming God. Despite repeated “momentary lapses,” the way wisdom grows is to allow one’s self to diminish and thereby give room for Wisdom. With Wisdom come Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, and Humility. But here’s the “loophole” the Accuser uses to get us to fall for his lies: Wisdom leads us to all the virtues, but Wisdom must be acquired through Humility. And where do we get this humility? Surprise, surprise! We get it from the action of asking for Wisdom. In James 1:5, James says “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” It takes humility to ask God for wisdom.
In fact, it takes humility to ask your Pastor for Wisdom, it takes humility to ask your friends for Wisdom, it takes humility to ask your spouse for Wisdom, it even takes humility to ask your child for Wisdom. It takes humility to ask for Wisdom because to do so you have to admit you don’t know it all, can’t think it all, and haven’t done it all. You are lacking. You are not your own Supreme Being. People who have the humility to seek Wisdom also have the sense to avoid contention. Want to know more about that?
Read Proverbs 8 – the whole thing.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved!
I am going to give you a video link. I got this from a Facebook friend, and I want to share it with you also. Please spend just a few minutes with this video:
>> http://www.skitguys.com/videos/item/gods-chisel/ << Just click on the link and watch. Before I list this week's prayer requests, I also want you to know that in the not-too-distant future there will be a new way to share the MBN ideals, messages, and news. This is an exciting new direction for the MBN being made possible by a very remarkable person who is not only wise but also generous. As preparations continue, I'll give you additional details. Now, the prayer requests: • For our governments and their leaders in the Nation, in schools, in religious organizations, in recreational activities and sports, and in our homes: Let us pray that all leaders will use morality, compassion, wisdom, and justice in all they do. • For relationships injured or shattered when wisdom is lost: Let us pray that restoration will come through acquisition of knowledge which yields understanding and leads to wisdom. • For travelers away form home for whatever reason: Let us pray that their journey will be fulfilling, safe, enriching, and filled with pleasant memories to be shared with family and friends when they return safely home. • For those who are suffering form every kind of illness – chronic or acute, physical or mental, and especially spiritual: Let us pray for the humility to be the helping hands and hearts they need to heal quickly and well. • For those whose financial security has been destroyed in this world-wide economic catastrophe: Let us pray that each of us will do everything we can to shelter, clothe, and feed those who have always lived in poverty as well as those who are on the brink of being impoverished. • For the lives and souls of the innocents – the unborn, the aged, the infirm: Let us pray they will find compassion in our prayers and actions. • For the dying: Let us pray that they will see the face of God in the loving caregivers that surround them. Thank you Beloved for all your prayers and for all your prayer requests. Please try to use the MBN Prayer whenever you can. I love you, and Jesus does, too.
