Getting the Big Head - Martin Wiles

Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. Numbers 20:11 NLT

Henry was a close friend of my father’s, but they were different. Dad was quiet and reserved; Henry was outgoing and comical. Dad held post-graduate degrees; Henry never made it out of college. Dad held no position in his state denomination, while Henry had moved up in the ranks. Dad was a relatively unknown pastor. Henry was known by most and had served for many years as the parliamentarian for his denomination on the state level. But Henry never got the big head. Regardless of how important the people were whom he hobnobbed with, he remained the same old Henry. He must have known that getting a big head can push us away from God and others.

Moses forgot how to be humble. God had chosen him to lead the Israelites from Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land. He also gave him the power to perform miracles. One was striking a rock with his staff. When he did, water gushed out for the thirsty people. But on this occasion, God told him to merely speak to the rock. Moses, full of himself and angry at stubborn people, hit the rock instead. God doesn’t appreciate orneriness and politely informed Moses he had forfeited his chance to lead the captives into the Promised Land.

The Bible doesn’t use the word big head, but it does use the word pride—and they’re identical. When pride infiltrates our lives, life becomes about us. Initially, Moses wanted nothing to do with the assignment of freeing the captives, but as time moved on, he thought more of himself than he should.

Pride leads us to distrust God, causing us to make poor decisions. No inherent power resided in Moses’ staff. Trust in God made the staff work—along with anything else God told him to use. Many of my poor decisions have been selfish and made in a moment when I failed to let God guide me.

God has a way of shrinking our heads when they get too big. He shrunk Moses’ by taking away the privilege of living in the Promised Land. He’s used various methods on me as well. But God isn’t in the head-shrinking business because He’s mean. He simply wants us to trust in him instead of in ourselves.

When your head gets too big, let God remind you about who you are without Him.

Father, remind me daily that I am nothing without you. 

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Brought Low - Martin Wiles

They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. Numbers 12:2 NLT

He envied the ducks—and wanted to be one.

As the turtle in the pond listened to the ducks describe their travels, he longed to visit the places they went. Of course, being a turtle, he couldn’t travel far or fast. One day, two of the ducks offered to help him. One of the ducks said, “We will each hold an end of a stick in our mouths. You hold the stick in the middle in your mouth, and we will carry you through the air so you can see what we see when we fly. But be quiet, or you will be sorry.”

Loving the idea, the turtle snapped onto the stick, and away they flew. Over the trees. Around meadows. He saw flowers on the hillside. This new perspective on the world amazed the turtle. 

As they flew across venues the turtle had never seen before, suddenly, a crow passed them. Seeing a flying turtle amazed the crow, who said, “Surely this must be the king of all turtles!”

When the turtle heard the crow’s remarks, he said, “Why certainly . . .”

But he never finished his statement. Opening his mouth caused him to lose his grip on the stick. He fell to the ground below—stripped of his newfound adventure, his life, and his pride.

Pride makes an awful bedfellow, as Aaron and Miriam discovered. They may have been Moses’ siblings, but this didn’t stop them from a prideful attitude that led them to think they should have a more significant part in leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land. When they complained, God humbled them—especially Miriam. Perhaps she had led the charade. A little temporary leprosy reminded her and Aaron of whom was in charge.

Selfish, sinful human nature makes it easy for pride to slip into our lives unawares. It did with Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He walked across the roof of his palace and marveled at the great kingdom he had built—or at least that’s what he thought. God brought him down by sending him into the fields to live as a wild animal for a period. As with Aaron and Miriam, he learned his lesson the hard way.

Pride causes us to forget our place. God is the Creator; we are the created. We don’t tell Him what to do; He tells us what to do. It might appear pride elevates us, but it takes us down a notch or two or three. Aaron seemed to have less pride than Miriam. When he saw God’s punishment for his sister, he humbly pleaded for her.

Pride can lead to relationship problems. Being friends with people who think they are better than us can be difficult, and being the spouse of one of those folks can be even more problematic.

The list of where pride can lead us is long: anger, selfishness, unreliable reasoning. Pride also opens us up to Satan’s temptations. After all, pride led to his downfall. He wasn’t satisfied with being an angel. He wanted to be God.

Remembering who we are and who God is keeps our perspective correct and lets humility reign instead of pride.

Don’t let a prideful spirit ruin your life.

Father, remind me often of who I am and of who you are. 

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Ego Deflation - Martin Wiles

As he looked out across the city, he said, “Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.” Daniel 4:30 NLT

Just five days after accepting the position, he resigned in disgrace.

 

In December of 2001, George O’Leary took the position as head coach of the Fighting Irish Notre Dame football team. Five days later, he resigned. An investigation revealed that twenty years before he had included false claims on his resume, which included saying he had lettered in football when he was not even on the team and that he had a master’s degree which he had not earned. The lies had not been discovered at any of his previous coaching jobs, but the high profile accorded the position of a coach at Notre Dame led to his exposure.

 

In a statement, O’Leary said, “Due to a selfish and thoughtless act many years ago, I have personally embarrassed Notre Dame, its alumni, and fans. With that in mind, I will resign my position as head football coach.”

 

Although a considerable amount of time passed between O’Leary’s deception and its discovery, it did come to light with devastating results. He had seemingly reached the height of his profession, only to wake up and find it all taken away. Pride can do that.

 

King Nebuchadnezzar ruled the mighty nation of Babylon—a nation he thought he had built by his own power and ingenuity. Although a pagan nation, God controlled who ruled it, and Nebuchadnezzar needed to realize it. So, God humbled his prideful spirit by temporarily taking the kingdom away from him.

 

God doesn’t want us to think less of ourselves than we should—after all, we are created in His image—but He also doesn’t want our view of ourselves to be higher than it should. We are His children, but He controls every breath we take. We can do all things through Christ, but we are nothing without Him. All our efforts made apart from His guidance—or in disobedience to His plan—are bound to fail.

 

God has wonderful plans for His children, and an attitude of humility will lead us to search out those plans and use our gifts and talents humbly to carry them out. When we recognize our position in Christ, God will open doors we could never imagine. We may never attain notoriety, as George O’Leary did as head coach of a famous football team, but we’ll be famous in God’s eyes for doing what He created us to do.

 

Don’t let pride ruin your work for God. Humbly accept the plans He has for you. After all, life is about Him, not you.

 

Prayer: Father, give us faith to seek and follow Your plans for our life. 

Tweetable: Is your ego larger than it should be? 

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The Last-First Rule - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else. Mark 9:35 NLT

With a smirky smile, he looked at us and said, “We’ve been waiting in line too.”

My family and I were attending a Christian concert. A desk for ticket pick-up was in the center of the entrance hallway. Crowds of people who had their tickets mulled around with seemingly no organization. We made our way to the desk and then through the line—trying to get to a table where my mother could sit until the doors opened.

As we passed one gentleman—who obviously thought we were trying to get ahead of him—he reminded us we needed to wait in line as he was doing. I had no time to rebuke his “Christian” attitude; I simply kept moving. But when the doors opened and the people poured in, I made sure he observed me staying behind him. I wasn’t about to break Jesus’ last-first rule.

Even Jesus’ closest followers had trouble with the last-first rule. As the little band of disciples made their way to Capernaum, they discussed which of them was the greatest. When they had settled in the house where they would stay, Jesus confronted their prideful attitudes.

Pride is one of Satan’s greatest temptations. Eve had a dose of it when she thought she knew better than God about eating forbidden fruit. Thousands of years later, I frequently think the same thing. By observing my world, I perceive many others do as well. Unfortunately, this jostling of who’s the greatest is even found among God’s people as it was with the disciples.

The Bible says humility is the better quality. 

We’re not to think too much of ourselves, but neither are we to think less of ourselves than we should. 

In Christ, we can do all things. We’re masterpieces in the making, but the key is “in Christ.” When we humble ourselves before him, he will exalt us at the right time and the right place.

How can you rebuke pride in your life and observe Jesus’ first-last principle?

Prayer: Father, enable us to humble ourselves before You and others. 

Tweetable: Are you following the last-first rule? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Water Walker - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” Matthew 14:28 NLT

I don’t walk on water, float on water, or swim in the water.

I grew up in a family of swimless people. But being able to float without any chance of going under would be enticing. I’ve never visited the Dead Sea, but if I did, I could walk out until I was waist-deep in water, lean back, and watch my feet and body pop up like a jack-in-the-box. This lowest place on earth is dominated by salinity that makes floating a breeze.

Peter wanted to walk, not float. He and the disciples were fighting a storm on the Sea of Galilee when Jesus came walking toward them on the water. Impetuous and prideful Peter asked if he could come to Jesus on the water. Jesus permitted him. Strutting like the sole cock in the chicken yard, Peter did well until he felt the violent wind blowing through his hair and noticed the struggling waves at his feet. As he spiraled downward, Jesus rescued him.

Peter was a seasoned fisherman and knew how to swim, but in this case, ability failed him. Pride outweighed his skill and sent him reeling toward the sea’s bottom. Pride does this. When I think I’m walking tall, pride will take me down. So popular has Peter’s story become through time that “walking on water” is now used as a synonym phrase for pride.

God is the one who holds me up day by day. He may give me strength, wisdom, and other natural abilities, but his hand is responsible for my floating and not sinking. He should receive the credit and glory for any and everything I accomplish.

While God won’t prevent all the storms in our lives—self-inflicted or not—he will keep us from succumbing to the warrior waves they bring. And when we cry out to him as Peter did, he will even grow our faith through them.

Are you guilty of thinking you can walk on water? If so, rebuke pride and invite humility into your life.

Prayer: God of glory and grace, remove any pride from our lives so that we might serve You in humility and power. 

Tweetable: Are you trying to walk on water? 

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Entitled - Martin Wiles

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

I placed my keys on the conveyor belt, the store discount card attached, and waited.

Having read the research on one trait of the younger generation, I carefully watch my encounters with them to see if they will fit the norm or be an exception. It appeared this young man would fit the norm.

As he finished with the customer in front of me, I noticed he didn’t say, “Thank you,” or “Have a good day and come again.” Just handed her the change and started with me. But the way he started with me was amusing. Instead of picking up my keys and scanning the discount card, he took his hand scanner and moved the keys around with it until he could see the bar code he needed to scan. Then, he began scanning my items without handing me my keys. I picked them up and continued watching.

As with the customer in front of me, I received no greeting or smile. In fact, he never looked at me. When he finished, he announced the total, I paid him, he gave me my change and started with the next customer. No greeting, no goodbye, no thank you.

The trait of entitlement seeped through. He thought I was privileged to have him wait on me, rather than viewing his job as a privilege and me as one of the customers responsible for his job. So I smiled, said thank you, and went on my merry way.

Entitlement. The belief that things are owed to us, that we deserve them. Where God’s forgiveness and salvation are concerned, Paul dispels this false notion in five short sentences. Grace—God’s undeserved favor—is the reason for my salvation. I didn’t do anything to deserve it, nor could I. That being said, no one has any reason to boast about their relationship with God, or that they deserve His blessings.

Hopefully, young folks plagued by the entitlement mindset will grow out of it before they become the majority in the workforce. If not, we’ll rarely hear kind remarks, and selfishness will rule. Of course, when we think we deserve whatever we have, the plague can spread to people of any age.

The Bible, however, promotes a different attitude: humility. A recognition that all I am and have—opportunities, talents, gifts—come from God. I don’t deserve them; having them is a privilege. When we have that attitude, we’ll serve others joyfully as Jesus did.

Don’t let an attitude of entitlement ruin your life—and the lives of others you impact.

Prayer: Father, helps us see when are nothing without You but can do all things with You.

Tweetable: Do you feel as if you are entitled? 

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Tell Your Story - Martin Wiles

Series: The Road to Humility

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16 NLT

Admitting it made me feel uneasy.

The it was actually a them, and the list dragged on. Things not everyone knew about me. Things I was ashamed of. Things like divorce, financial breakdowns, lust, parental mishaps, addictions, rebellion. Sordid sins that tainted my reputation and could keep me out of certain positions if the wrong person knew.

Now my editor instructed me to be honest in my writings. Put all the bad stuff out there. If I did, others would identify with me. I’d be more human, and more people would read what I wrote.

So I became vulnerable and started sharing it all. Well … most of it. Some things were better left unsaid. I discovered she knew best. Comments from readers told of how they appreciated my honesty … how they’d dealt with some of the same things … how my experience helped them on their spiritual journey.

I stopped worrying about what others thought—the ones who thought they were on a higher spiritual plain. Too good to do some of the things I had done.

I’ve often done what James suggests in small groups and experienced others doing it as well. Confession of sin is the very reason why some avoid these groups. Shame or a refusal to be vulnerable keeps them away.

Telling our stories—even when they’re sordid—keeps us humble and keeps pride away. Pride makes us want to remain quiet. We don’t want others to know we’re less than perfect. We want our facades to be spotless. Fear is pride’s counterpart. Fear of what others will think. Fear they’ll ostracize us, laugh at us, or gossip about us.

Telling our stories helps those who haven’t to open up and share theirs. And sharing—admitting and confessing—is one step on the road to healing. Knowing others face similar things helps. Telling how you conquered your sin gives them fodder to face and overcome theirs.

God uses our weaknesses to assist others. When we’re weak—or when we admit we are—He is strong. Letting others know how God has pulled us through gives them the courage to trust Him to do the same for them.

Don’t fear telling your story to others—even if it includes shameful details. God will use it to help others.

Tweetable: Are you telling your story?

Prayer: Father, give us the courage to share what You’ve done in our lives so others can benefit.

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Take the Back Seat - Martin Wiles

Series: The Road to Humility

It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace. Proverbs 25:7 NLT

She inched through the parking lot, looking for a space—but not just any space.

Tyler Perry’s Madea wanted a space down front, so she slowly made her way up and down every aisle looking for an empty spot and waiting for someone to back out. As she did, a snobby rich woman in a fancy sports car followed her, honking her horn and screaming at her to get out of the way.

Madea, ignoring her, finally saw someone backing out. She politely stopped and waited while the woman continued to blow at her. As Madea was about to pull into the parking space, the rich woman zoomed around her and took her spot. Madea was furious, yelled at her, and told her she knew she was waiting on that spot. The rich woman ignored her and proceeded into the store.

Not one to let anyone else get anything over on her, Madea mounted a forklift that sat nearby, picked the woman’s car up, and dumped it on its roof—an action that landed her in jail.

Madea wanted the best space in the parking lot, but so did the rich woman. The scene shows human nature at its best—and worst. We typically want the best, not less. The writer of Proverbs says it’s better to take the back seat and wait for an invitation to come up front than it is to be humiliated by the host and asked to move from the front to the back. Jesus aid a similar thing hundreds of years later.

Pride, not humility, leads me to crave the best—the place that puts me above others and shines the spotlight on me. Trouble is, what appears as the best doesn’t remain the best for long. Someone more important or better liked will always displace me. And if the best is material possessions, I’ll discover they decompose just like the less-than-best stuff. Nothing is permanent; everything is temporary.

Panting for the best above others also ruins my testimony. Humility leads me to put others first and serve them. Madea could have offered the spot to the rich snob, but pride led her to take revenge instead. Jesus put others above Himself. As His followers, we should do the same.

Look for ways to put the needs of others above yours.

Tweetable: Are you willing to take the back seat?

Prayer: Father, give us a humble spirit that allows others to take the spot before us.

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