Whoever fears the LORD walks uprightly, but those who despise him are devious in their ways. – Proverbs 14:2

Today's Scripture Reading (November 11, 2022): Proverbs 14

Winston Churchill once commented, "I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." Sometimes it is good just to understand our status in life, and I guess Churchill was comfortable being co-equal with the mud puddle pigs. However, I can't say that he is wrong. If you want to be the boss, go out and find a dog; if you aspire to be enslaved, go out and find a cat. But if it is being treated like an equal that you desire, then go to a farmer's field and have a discussion with a pig. Maybe that is all we deserve.

There is so much about life that demands that we know our place. Jesus taught that we should always place ourselves in the position of the servant so that, if we have earned a higher honor, we could be lifted up. According to Jesus, it was much better to be lifted up than to be asked to take a lower place at the table. Paul gave us a similar teaching.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:1-4).

However, humility is something that is often lost on Christians. We are often too secure in our beliefs. In fact, we are sometimes so certain that no one can shake our opinion, even if it is wrong. And so, we are instructed to take the lower position in our social interactions and not even pretend that we can be equals with each other.

We have arrived at an era of our religious belief when we have adopted God as our equal. We sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and seemingly bring God down to our level. We talk about God as if he were a sibling, an equal of ours. Sometimes I struggle with these concepts; after all, he is God. The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord, which new readers to the book often misunderstand. In using that word, we indicate that we respect all that God is.

In the C.S. Lewis classic, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," Lucy is introduced to the God figure of the story, Aslan the Lion. And Lucy has an important question. "Is he safe?" It is Mr. Beaver who ultimately responds to the question. "Safe? Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of Course he isn't safe. But he is good." Whenever we speak of the fear of the Lord, we affirm the same truth that C.S. Lewis seemed to understand. God is not safe, but he is good. And he is not our equal; he is our God. And because of that, we fear him or have a healthy respect for him as we follow his ways.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Proverbs 15

Happy Remembrance Day and Veterans Day.