Stand On God’s Foundation, Not Your Own

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin; whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.’ (Proverbs 17:19)

Today being Inauguration Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the College Football Championship, while there should be peaceful celebrations of each of these events, there will be those – on both sides of the issues involving each – that will be rowdier and more vocal than the majority of the people.  While most will have picked a side in each (Republican/Democrat, pro-MLK/anti-MLK, Notre Dame/Ohio State), a select few will be ‘over the top’ in expressing their viewpoints, possibly extending into actual violence.  There will be those on each side of these issues that will proclaim ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’. 

This is normal in any situation, including today’s events and items outside of them.  I love bacon, for example, and I know that it is an awesome, healthy food (bacon provides me happiness, and happiness is healthy, right?)  and I know I’m right on this subject.  However, I will not throw a tantrum or call you names if you don’t like bacon (it just means there’s more bacon for me).  Now if you try to ban bacon, there may be some increased vocalization on my displeasure over your attempts to hinder my happiness… (I’m being facetious, but only infinitesimally so, as I do love bacon.)

Let’s start by defining the word ‘gate’ as ‘walls’ or ‘house’, as it depends on the Biblical translation used.   The ‘building’ of a ‘gate’ or ‘walls’ either very high or on a high place is often where we place ourselves ‘proverbially’ when we are in an argument.  ‘I’m right and you’re wrong’ is said when the ‘right’ person builds themselves a hill, and then a wall to stand on, to talk down to the ‘wrong’ person.  It is okay to disagree, but even if you’re absolutely 100% right you can also be 100% in sin if you start building that high ground to talk down to the other party, in anger and self-righteousness.  

As stated in Matthew 6:24, you cannot serve two masters; it’s either God or self (money, greed, self-interest).  God wants you to disagree on many secular beliefs and positions (especially when those are against His Word), but if you pervert the disagreement from God’s intent to your own self-intentions, you move from His rock-firm high ground to your self-built sandy high ground.  In the end, your self-righteous sandy mound will collapse. 

A great example is abortion.  We all can agree abortion is immoral, goes against God and is certainly a sin.  You go in front of an abortion clinic, and start protesting, peacefully.  So far, so good.  But, being so caught up in your stance against abortion, you start getting self-righteous and instead of trying to talk sensibly to the women entering the abortion clinic you start yelling, ‘baby killer!’ or try to incite the burning down of the clinic, you have gone from being 100% right in belief to being 100% wrong in motive. 

Acts 19:13-16 is great Biblical example; self-righteous men went to remove a demon from a man, and invoked Jesus’ name, perhaps not knowing Jesus and so did not do so for Jesus’ glory but their own.   The demon of course, saw right through this, and sent them out after taking their clothes (likely their lunch money, too) and beating them up.   Again, 100% right in belief, but 100% wrong in motive.

It is often better to state the truth, and then either drop the subject or walk away.  Let the other person think about what you’ve said, and they may come back to either agree with you or ask for more information.  There are situations where it may not be wise to back down, but make sure you are standing on God’s solid high ground and not your own crumbling foundation.