Garments

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:5-11

      Yesterday I was plagued with anxiety. There were matters pressing in on me and my entire spring schedule seemed to want to invade the space of that single day. I don't know where it came from, but it drove me first to talk with my Father and then secondly to seek the counsel of other believers. In the end, I was able to let it go after God reminded me that He was God, not me, and could handle it. He also reminded me of the many times in the past where I suffered anxiety or worry over some situation only to find an absolute remedy awaited just days or weeks later. Of course, He can see that and that is why it is vitally important that I trust fully in the eternal vision of my heavenly Father. I can no more see the outcome of any one action or event than my 7-year-old can understand the ramifications of too much sugar now to her adult body later. I had to humble myself, as the passage above states, and remember that I can cast my anxieties on Him because He has my best interests at heart. He knows what He is doing. If He allows a situation to unfold, I need not worry about the outcome.  I am His child and as a child need to trust in the wisdom of the One who loves me most.


          All of that got me thinking about knowledge, suffering, and submission... In the end, the more I know about the Lord, the more liable I am to do what is right. James 4:17 says, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." The more I understand about sin and righteousness, the more accountable I am to make the good choice. The more thoroughly I comprehend Christ's life and suffering, the more I must submit to any suffering -- large or small-- without complaint. The clearer I see my pride, the more obligated I am to humble myself as it is written plainly throughout the Scriptures in too many passages to quote.

     I have walked with the Lord long enough to understand how pervasive my pride is, how sneaky, how subtly it worms its way into my conversations or my concerns. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that pride and unbelief are at the roots of every sin I commit. They are pesky and vile, tainting every single thing I do and every word I speak. I often find that I have spoken a phrase in conversation that strokes my pride and was entirely unnecessary for any other purpose. It sounds a small thing, perhaps, but I assure you it is not. Every act of pride, no matter how minuscule or innocent-seeming, is an act of defiance against the sovereignty of God. It is not Him I glorify in these matters but myself. 

     I also know that there are times when I have been tempted to "pretend" I did not understand this and speak well of myself (subtly, mind you--I am not speaking of blatant hauteur), to plug my ears, if you will, and pretend I did not hear the Lord's quiet voice warning me against it. However, then I remember the verse from James and it all comes crashing down around me. If I know it to be wrong, I must not do it. I have a feeling that repenting of an honest slip is one thing, contrived repentance is quite another.

     To sum up these thoughts, I give you a quote from a C. S. Lewis novella entitled The Great Divorce: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it."  And so, my friends, I leave you with some questions: Can a person who knows better enter the Kingdom of Heaven by trying not to understand their sins--by covering their eyes, if you will? Can we hope to follow Jesus down the narrow road without understanding how narrow the road is and exactly where it deviates from the broad road? Can we hope to follow Him at all if we do not spend enough time with Him to see the contrast between where we end and He begins? Can we possibly be excused because we didn't know better if we have not wholeheartedly sought to understand?

     In a nutshell, can we hope to be saved by the cloak of Christ's righteousness, suffering, and humility if we finger the garment, discuss it's quality, point it out to our friends, but never put it on?

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. 

1Peter 4:17-19

Scripture quotations are from the ESV^® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.