Of all the enemies that we face in this world, our biggest lies reflected in the mirror. No one has done more to damage our relationship with God. No one had done more to harm the people that love us. No one is more destructive to our churches, our communities and our nation.
We really are our own worst enemy.
The thought that God loves us in spite of all that is more than I can truly understand. The good thing is that I don’t need to understand. I just need to accept it and seek to demonstrate that unfathomable love to a lost world.
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Arrogance
I routinely get email from people attempting to help me see the error of my ways, to show me that I’ve got it all wrong, that this or that is true, instead of that other thing that I said. I’ve done that often enough myself that I usually take it in stride. And, I’ve been a writer for long enough to get a feel for the person on the other side of that email.
Having said that, my ‘ability’ isn’t perfect, and I’ve had to apologize profusely more often that I would like. I can be a loose canon at the best of times, a fact that my poor wife will enthusiastically agree with. But, I’m getting better at apologizing. Really.
Now, I understand the desire to ‘set me straight’ on things. I do that all the time, often with great fervor. And, I always appreciate reasoned points of view that add clarity that I would not ordinarily have. And, so many of you that are reading this have blessed me with your own points of view. The comment section is often filled with incredible observations that I’ve been blessed to read and respond to.
May my mind always open where it needs to be open, and closed where it needs to be closed. Where the God and the Bible give permission, I hope to always be mentally flexible enough to adjust my thinking to new information.
That’s why I want to talk about arrogance. It is the exact opposite of this desire. And, it’s incredibly deadly.
Arrogance killed Clinton’s hopes for the White House.
Arrogance led to the defeat of the Arabs in every war that they ever fought with Israel.
Arrogance lies at the heart of every war.
Arrogance destroys families, communities and nations.
Satan’s minions will be defeated because of it.
I’ve seen people killed by arrogance, and I see a future where millions – no, billions – will die because of it. And, they will die because they chose not to believe the evidence that was right in front of them. And, it’s such a waste.
Always ask, “Could I be wrong?”
Except in certain areas specifically described by the Bible, the answer should always be, “YES!” I’ve been wrong enough times to be quite enthusiastic with that answer. In fact, an inability to see that you might be wrong in something is the surest way to failure.
Take science, for instance. The truest forms of it spend more time proving something wrong, than proving something right. There’s not a lot of money or glory in proving something wrong. But, every good scientist knows that it’s a necessary part of establishing what we know to be true.
Peak Oil
Peak Oil is an example that never ceases to amuse me. Everywhere I go, there’s always someone who believes that the flow of oil will never end, that our current civilization is just the natural reflection of our own superiority. But, oil cannot last forever. Only a fool would say otherwise.
Yet, people persist in the belief that our access to stupendous amounts of cheap energy will last… forever.
Israel
Another one is the Middle East and Israel. There is a growing hatred of Israel that is completely astounding. I have never understood this obstinate desire to destroy the Jewish State, and I don’t want to.
Why do people hate Israel so much?
Yet, when you try to reason with anti-Semites, you get nowhere – and, I’m an eyewitness to events in Israel!
Precious Metals
Then there’s gold.
There are those who have absolutely no understanding of the value of precious metals, and they don’t want to know. When Mark Dice once offered people the choice between a bar of silver and a chocolate bar… they took the chocolate!
Shocking.
But, at the same time, I see an almost religious fervor towards gold. Gold is money, they say, and to a certain extent, that’s true. But, it’s not universally true.
Gold is only valuable, as long as others agree with you. Seriously, the value of gold was not encoded into our DNA. There is nothing in the universe that decrees that gold should have some universal importance.
Having said that, I bought gold and I own gold. And, I have said that gold has value, and I believe that it will continue to have value. But please… have an open mind about this. There may come a time when gold will no longer have value.
Already, India is attempting to suppress the ownership of gold. Within the last year, the Bank of Taiwan has started to ask for identification when you sell gold to them. The time may come, when governments will make it impossible to buy or sell gold.
Silver is a somewhat different issue because it has industrial purpose. And, I hold that as well.
And, I am always open to any other suggestion for what might be a reliable and portable store of value.
Abomination
Ultimately, arrogance is a part of what God calls pride. There are verses everywhere in the Bible that speak of how God feels about pride. But, the one word that echoes in my mind is…
abomination
I read this verse at least once a year, and I am convicted of my own pride every time:
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
I’ve been an abomination to the Lord far too many times. And, I keep failing at this. Please do your best to never be an abomination to God.
Whenever I am teaching a group of Christians, I invariably ask if anyone knows what the first sin was, and who committed it. The answers are:
Pride
Satan
The sin of pride truly is an abomination to God. I pray that we all understand that and humble ourselves before God.
I truly hope that you’ll be ready for this
(That’s a link. Click it for a discussion on preparation.)
A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. – Proverbs 22:3
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If you find a flaw in my reasoning, have a question, or wish to add your own viewpoint, leave a comment on the website. Your input is truly welcome.
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