January 19,1998
Dear Br. Larry:
Several years ago, I met a woman who informed us that she was brilliant. She had attended collage, obtained a doctorate in psychology, and was truly brilliant, yes quite brilliant. She said these things with a straight face, so I assume that she actually thought of herself as above average intelligence.
As we become better acquainted, her true colors were manifested.
Rather then being brilliant, she turned out to be a con artist.
Her purported higher education was in doubt and she finally met
with disgrace.
Doesn’t the Bible say something about letting your light
so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify
you..., oops, I meant God.
How many of us love to shine to our own glory. The daily news
is filled with people who conspire to be noticed. Personally,
I would rather remain in the background, unnoticed and unseen,
although that hasn’t always been possible for I often speak
out for the Lord in such a way as to receive unpleasant notice
from those who desired I would go away and leave them alone in
their misguided perceptions.
This same woman informed us, again with a straight face, that
she was a fit vessel for the Lord. She made these comments while
expressing anger and hostility for something I had said out of
her hearing that had nothing to do with her but which she gratuitously
took upon herself as an occasion to get angry at me.
A fit vessel for the Lord she was not but a fit vessel for self,
she was. O to see ourselves as others see us!
Pride is an insidious plant in our character gardens and most
difficult to distinguish from the good plants and even harder
to weed out. But what do we have to be proud of? Every thing we
poses, every accomplishment we attain, every material possession
was given us by God, wherefore, then have we anything of which
to take pride.
The Lord has gifted me with relatively good health. Only rarely
have I been sick, therefore, I haven’t had the experience,
at least in my adult life, of being helpless, however, others
have had this experience, and believe me, most of them learn humility
very quickly.
When flat on your back, confined to bed, pride finds little upon
which to feed. Yet, there are some people, despite this situation,
who tenaciously cling to pride, ignoring the barely suppressed
ridicule of those who must take care of them. As I said, pride
dies hard.
All of us desire to retain something in which we can take pride.
True humility is an exotic plant in the garden. Men especially
find it difficult to cultivate humility for fear that they will
become vulnerable to other men.
Like a pack of hungry wolves, men watch each other for the first
sign of weakness that they may exploit it to gain the supremacy.
Humility is perceived as a blemish upon the male psyche to be
exploited or probed at will.
Knowing this, we shield ourselves from their gaze, carefully camouflaging
any hint of supposed weakness, thus denying our families, the
church, the world, and ourselves the benefits of our sensitive
natures.
It is often said of a gruff and surly man that he has a heart
of gold. If this be the case, then let us see it. Of what good
is a compassionate and sympathetic spirit if it is never allowed
expression. To restrict and bind the better nature that it may
not be seen is to deny its existence.
Little protective self must be guarded at all coasts, we reason,
least we be offended, thus Satan gains the victory and the world
is denied the testimony of a sensitive, caring, Christian gentleman.
What have we gained by thus shielding our precious self but the
frown of God.
Better to accept the ridicule of the world and see the smile of
God then to value the smiles of the wicked and face the disapproval
of our Lord, for they shall perish but we shall live forever.
Dear brother, let it never be said of you that you had a soft
heart but were to afraid to let us see it.
God loves you and has endowed you with many fine attributes, be
strong and brave that others may rejoice at the wonderful gifts
he has bestowed upon you for the advancement of his kingdom.
Encourage others, especially men, by allowing yourself to be vulnerable
that God may be glorified.
May the Lord receive the praise and may your light shine among
the fraternity of men as one who is brave and steadfast. God loves
you. May the Lord bless you, your brother in Christ.
Allen A. Benson