Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
You said, “Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.’” (Job 42:1-6 NIV)
Job and his friends had just concluded a long discussion on the reasons for his suffering. Back and forth they went, each assured of their own wisdom. Then the Lord suddenly inserted Himself into the conversation with a force that silenced them all (Job 38) ““Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me,” He declared. And then He proceeds for two chapters to declare His supreme wisdom and power. Job’s response is one of total humility.
Over the past year, I have observed, heard, and read Christians debating among themselves about homosexuality, same-sex marriage, race, immigration, and the politics of the left and the right. All of it reminds me a lot of Job and his friends. Each had their argument and each thought he was right. What was lacking was humility. Job was by far the most righteous of the group, but all had an inflated view of themselves and of their own opinions. But when the Lord appeared on the scene, suddenly there was the silence in recognition that their opinions mattered little in the presence of the Almighty.
What I think so often lacks in much of our discussion on the issues of the day is any sense of humility. There is so often a sense of arrogance in the expression of our opinions. We’re so sure we are right and those disagreeing with us are wrong and perhaps, just plain stupid. And it is quite possible we are right, just as Job was correct about having done nothing to deserve the suffering he’d had to endure. But what the story of Job reminds us is that it really doesn’t matter how right we are. We have no excuse for arrogance, because as soon as the Almighty God comes on the scene, we are nothing. Job and his friends were all called out for their inflated views of themselves.
When the Lord shows up among the humans, the playing field is leveled. We are all sinners in need of His grace and mercy. And our wisdom is nothing when compared to His. This is a much-needed reminder as we enter into what looks to be a very volatile presidential election season, where it will be tempting to post our deeply held opinions.
Today, remember, as Job did, your standing before your Creator and Lord. You are nothing compared to Him. So when you are tempted to opine on something, then you can express yourself with humility rather than arrogance. A dose of humility will do us all a lot of good in the months ahead.
© Jim Musser 2016
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