“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)
It’s that time of year when everything and everyone pauses to watch the Super Bowl. Whether it’s the hype leading up to the big game, the parties and the food, the halftime show, the TV commercials, or the actual gridiron competition – millions of people find a way to get involved. The 2015 contest may best be remembered for its pregame controversy which has become known as “Deflate-gate.” In a championship playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL reported that a majority of the footballs checked at halftime were underinflated below the acceptable range. If used, an underinflated football can be more easily handled giving an advantage to the team who possesses them. So, was there an intention to cheat and win? Good luck finding someone who will admit that. Egos in check? Of course not. Lots of money on the line? Certainly. Will we ever know all the facts? Your guess is as good as mine.
In our culture, we hear about a lot of things being over or under inflated. Economists inform us that neither severe inflation nor deflation is favorable because it affects purchasing power and price stability. The garage mechanic will tell you that you should regularly check your tires for proper inflation, because you will get better gas mileage if you do so. We don’t want our air bags in our car to inflate, although if we are in an accident we may be grateful that they did. When we’re having a celebration, we may use helium to inflate balloons for the festivity, but then we end up popping or deflating them later. Emergency medical service personnel are taught how to give CPR in order to inflate someone’s lungs if they stop breathing. And In our own day-to-day experience, we may know someone with an inflated ego and wish that we could find a way to shrink it.
Jesus had to address the ego issue with those closest to Him. ”An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest’” (Luke 9:46-48). If we are a genuine child of God, then on our journey we will come to understand that we must die to oneself in order to fulfill God’s will for our life. Otherwise, somewhere along our path we may find ourself humbled. After all, we are warned that “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
It’s apparent that God does not deal well with persons who are full of themselves. Peter wrote that “God opposes the proud but favors the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). When we are willing to deflate our ego to become like an empty vessel, then He can fill us and direct our path of service. Martin Luther once said: “Until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him.” In order to provide a worthwhile contribution to the world, it may be important that we view ourselves as fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. However, in doing so, we can easily allow our ego-centered attitude to become ‘puffed up’. When this occurs, the joy and peace that God intends for us to experience along our journey is sacrificed. “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 2:3-4). Someone once said, “Every time your head touches the ground in prayer, remember it is to teach you to put down your ego.” In doing so, we allow ourselves to be within the bounds of being properly deflated.
REFLECTION: When you accomplish tasks that are worthy of praise, in what manner do you give the credit to God for equipping you as His instrument? How do you demonstrate Godly compassion for others who are self-centered? In what ways can we turn our personal successes into triumphs for His kingdom?
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