Schoolchildren love the opposite game. Whatever they say, the listener must do the opposite. “Stop jumping!” and they must continue to jump. “Scratch your head,” and they begin to scratch their knee. “Yell your name,” brings a whisper that can barely be heard.
Our Christian walk expects the same from us.
Oh, not in everything. If Christ says to pray without ceasing, we aren’t to give up easily. That would be silly. There is one way, however, that what we do will invoke the opposite reaction when we one day stand at the side of the Savior and face our Father above.
Luke 18:10-14 gives us our opposite reaction example. These men are playing the opposite game, even if they don’t know it.
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The opposite game. If we puff ourselves up, thinking we’re all that and more, we’ve received our pat on the back, and one day we’ll be brought down to size.
It’s the man (and woman) that realizes we are sinners saved by grace, and who gives all credit for our salvation, financial success, and social standing unto God that will be lifted up when we stand with Christ on high.
Our pride must be based in Christ, for he is the one from whom all good things flow.
Copyright © 2018 MyChurchNotes.net
Code: FGO.I.22.17i.vp.esv