“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
—JOSHUA 1:9
“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
—JAMES 4:6–8
Fear and pride are two key issues that hinder a Theopraxic life. Most people are heavily affected by one or the other. Personally, I am far more susceptible to pride than to fear.
Both fear and pride are really a cluster, or family, of sins. For example, in missions circles, we often refer to guilt-based cultures and shame-based cultures. Guilt is an expression of fear. Guilt fears condemnation and punishment. Shame is an expression of pride. It seeks honor and glory for itself both individually and corporately.
Fear results from not having a high enough apprehension of God’s power, presence, goodness, trustworthiness, or concern. As such, it is an insult to God. The Bible is full of instances where people trusted in men, money, or human power rather than in God. This behavior is a direct outgrowth of fear, because it usually happens when we turn to men, money, or power to deliver us from what we fear.
MARK 4:35–41 illustrates Jesus’ perspective on fear. He and the disciples got into a boat. Jesus was tired, so he fell asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat. As He was sleeping, a storm arose and the waves began to wash over the sides of the vessel, threatening to swamp it. Frightened, the disciples woke Jesus, demanding “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Jesus got up, rebuked the storm, and everything became calm. Then Jesus asked His disciples: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Apparently, Jesus thought fear was not an appropriate response for people in a small boat amidst a big storm with waves washing over the sides. To the rest of us, this response seems completely normal, even inevitable. But why? Jesus does not say, “Why are you afraid? You are all experienced fishermen who have been in many storms bigger than this.” He says, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Note the word still. Jesus seems offended that, after knowing Him and seeing Him do many miracles, the disciples still lack faith and grow afraid when a storm comes up. The antidote to fear is faith in God, not self-confidence.
We see this message throughout the Scriptures. When God called Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt, Moses was afraid. He asked, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” (EXODUS 3:11). God answered: “Certainly I will be with you” (EXODUS 3:12). When Joshua was ordered to bring Israel into the promised land, God encouraged him, saying, “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (JOSHUA 1:9).
Moses and Joshua had ample reason to be afraid. Egypt and the nations of Canaan were far more powerful than Israel. But they could be brave because they had faith in God who was with them. To fear is to doubt God’s power or goodness.
Our conception of God and how we respond to Him define our lives. When we live in fear, we display deficiencies in our understanding of God.
If fear (or trusting in something or someone other than God) is an insult to God, pride is a challenge to God. When we exhibit pride, we put ourselves in the place of trust and honor. We put ourselves in competition with the Lord. Scripture tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (JAMES 4:6; 1 PETER 5:5).
In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis refers to pride as the cardinal sin and notes that it is characteristic of Satan himself. He adds that humility, the opposite of pride, does not mean thinking little of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves little. A proud person’s constant point of reference is himself or herself, not God. Therefore, a proud person cannot live a life of Theopraxy.
Three times in his writings, Paul broadly compares himself with others. The first time, relatively early in his ministry, he categorizes himself as the least of the apostles (1 CORINTHIANS 15:9). Around the middle of his ministry, he classifies himself as the least of all saints (EPHESIANS 3:8). Finally, toward the end of his life, he calls himself the greatest of sinners (1 TIMOTHY 1:15).
Compared to other people, these comments are simply untrue. Paul was one of the most consecrated and fruitful missionaries in human history. From heaven’s perspective, however, these comments make perfect sense. The more mature Paul became, the more he thought of himself in comparison to God and the more fully he understood what that meant. Hence his trust in and regard for himself continued to decrease as he loved, trusted, and relied on God more and more completely.
Pride puts us in a position of competing with God for glory. We cannot expect a relationship with God if we are competing with Him.
For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit …”
—ISAIAH 57:15
The eternal, high, exalted, and holy God lives in two places: the “high and holy place” and “with the contrite and lowly of spirit.” If we hope to have God present with us, we must make sure that our hearts are contrite and lowly of spirit, for only then will God dwell with us.
In this passage, and many others, the Bible plainly teaches that God will make Himself known to us only if we have a high opinion of Him and a comparatively low opinion of ourselves. For example:
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
—PSALM 34:18
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
—MATTHEW 5:3–4
“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
—LUKE 18:13–14
Developing a proper view of ourselves is a problem in this current era of self-esteem and positive thinking. We want to know God, but we also want to hang on to our high opinion of ourselves. That is not an option. God does not befriend proud people. In fact, by clinging to our pride, we make God our opponent, our enemy.
“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
If we humble ourselves before the Lord, He will draw near to us. If we persist in thinking that we are good, God will keep His distance.
Why is God so insistent on this point? Why will He become intimate only with those who think themselves small and unworthy? God wants us to be humble not because it boosts His ego, but simply because humility befits our nature. God is perfectly good, utterly powerful, and our Creator and Savior. We are the weak and sinful creatures He has redeemed by His own death. He is not willing to humor us by entering a relationship based on the polite pretense that we are good.
From God’s perspective, pride is utterly ridiculous. In ISAIAH 10:15, the Lord aptly describes the pride of the king of Assyria: “Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift it, or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.” We have no ability, no skill, no knowledge, other than what was given to us by the Lord. Apart from Him, we can do nothing (JOHN 15:5).
In the end, when the truth about God is fully revealed, there will be no room for human pride. Isaiah makes this clear when he describes the coming of the Lord in the last days.
The proud look of man will be abased,
And the loftiness of man will be humbled,
And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and lofty
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be abased.
—ISAIAH 2:11–12
For now, the truth about God is invisible to those who reject Him.
Thus they persist in the proud delusion that they are good and worthy. When God reveals Himself in His holiness, glory, and power, previously proud people will drop in dismay, instantly perceiving the absurdity of their conceit. Then pride will no longer be possible. Those who wish to know God now must now adopt the humility that ultimately will be imposed on everyone. To live a life of Theopraxy, we must do battle with fear and pride.
I knew a coach who frequently said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” He was correct. Nothing exposes my deficiencies more starkly than profound fatigue. On several occasions, God has allowed me to experience extended seasons of extreme fatigue. That experience produces a sense of inadequacy, which may be God’s way of addressing my propensity to pride. When fatigued, I clearly recognize my complete and desperate need for Him, and I acknowledge His invitation to be with Him. He is constantly calling, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (MATTHEW 11:28–30).
Notice that Jesus says His purpose, His yoke, His burden, is light. He does not promise to give us strength for our own desires apart from Him. The strength He will provide, even in our weakness and fatigue, is for the purpose of doing His will.
There are many practical ways to cultivate humility and counteract pride in our daily lives. Ask for or accept assistance from others. Be grateful. Listen more. Praise others. Ask more questions. Serve others. Seek advice.
Banishing fear, on the other hand, is largely a matter of putting things into eternal perspective and comparing what we fear to God, who is bigger than all our fears.
More than anything else, being Theopraxic—constantly focused on the Lord and on His perspective—is a death knell to both fear and pride. We need to deal with these two foes forcefully and ruthlessly whenever we discover new pockets of their presence in our lives.
When I began writing this book, I spent the entire first day skimming thousands of Scripture verses related to Theopraxy. As I did so, two overarching themes came powerfully into view. The first was no surprise: Our God is the one and only God and He alone deserves all worship and honor and glory. But the second was unexpected, at least in terms of its frequency. The Bible contains hundreds of references to people who looked to the wrong source for deliverance from their desperation and fear. God wants to be recognized as the exclusive source of all good and necessary blessings, the answer to every need. He loves it when we come to Him for protection.
Here are just two examples from the Psalms. In the second, God Himself is speaking. We can hear His heart.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.
—PSALM 46:1–2
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.”
—PSALM 91:14–15
Clearly, these two concepts are related, since God is both the only being worthy of worship and the source and sustainer of all creation. I also see an interesting parallel between these two issues and the sins of fear and pride. Fear correlates with seeking relief or deliverance from another source; pride corresponds with honoring another entity.
The Lord rightly desires and demands to be acknowledged as the center of the cosmos. He is the focus of every issue or concern. He is the axis of every activity. He sets the parameters for every event and interaction. Failure to recognize this most essential feature of life is a scandalous abomination, a deplorable atrocity, and a heinous violation of God’s intended order.
Father in heaven, thank You for allowing us to call You Father. There is nothing about us that makes us deserve to be Your children. As we walk with You, You call us to be fearless (because You are with us) and humble (because You are so much greater than we are). Both are unnatural for me. Help me to focus on You, not me, and to boldly follow Your lead. It makes me a little afraid even to say it, but I depend on You. And You are dependable. Help me to clearly see the truth about myself and about You. Help me to fear only You. Help me to be humble before You, for I long to know You as only the humble can.
Read the following questions, then pray and ask God what He wants you to learn and do. Listen quietly.
Review your journal. Are there any past commitments you have not completed? If needed, schedule revised completion dates.
1. Which affects me more: fear or pride? Why?
2. What would I do differently if I were not afraid?
3. What would I do differently if I were not proud?
4. What specific actions does God want me to take in response to this chapter? (Note them in your journal and schedule them in your calendar.)
5. With whom (at least one name) does God want me to share what I have learned?
Ask the Lord to enable you to follow through on these commitments and to prepare the hearts of those with whom you intend to share insights.