And a mouth was given to him [the beast from the sea], speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to operate for forty-two months. He opened his mouth in order to speak blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, those who are in heaven. Rev. 13:5, 6.
The beast from the sea here behaves in a manner that makes perfect sense from a human perspective. If you want to be great and highly regarded by others, you "talk big things," as the beast does here. Let everyone know how spectacular you are. And it doesn't hurt your image to swear a little, making everyone think how tough and how cool you are. And don't forget to walk with a little swagger! Then people will conclude you're really something!
How the gospel goes against the grain! The sea beast is attempting to take the place of Jesus Christ in the hearts of earth's inhabitants. And to a degree he succeeds. But for the real Jesus, greatness does not appear in big talk, swearing, and swaggering. Real greatness is characterized by a basin and a towel (John 13). It humbles itself even to the point of death (Phil. 2:5-8).
I caught just a glimpse of real greatness on the golf course one day. The group a friend and I were playing with took the game very seriously. A string of profanities followed bad shots, as each desperately sought to show that he was better than the others. On the seventeenth hole the president of the club faced a crucial shot. The game was close, and every stroke counted. He studied the layout ahead, took a couple of practice swings, and carefully prepared to hit the ball. But his swing was a little high, and so instead of propelling the ball ahead, he drove it into the ground. I waited in silence for the inevitable. But he said nothing and prepared to swing again. This time he drove the ball even deeper into the ground! Once again he remained absolutely silent. I was amazed. It was like stubbing your toe twice on one trip across the room. Yet he said nothing (you could see on his face that it wasn't easy).
As my friend and I were leaving the clubhouse a little later, I stepped back in and went up to the man, put a hand on his shoulder, and said, "It took a really big man to do what you did on number 17 without swearing."
I learned that day that anybody can swear, but the person of really strong character is the one who can face bitter circumstances without letting loose. It is easier to become president of a golf club than it is to control your speech or humble yourself to serve others. True greatness does not come from following the beast, but rather from following the Lamb. What comes out of our mouth reveals our true character.
Lord, Your words are gracious and kind. You left heaven for me, to save me and to show me the path to true greatness. May You live that kind of greatness through me today.
The beast from the sea here behaves in a manner that makes perfect sense from a human perspective. If you want to be great and highly regarded by others, you "talk big things," as the beast does here. Let everyone know how spectacular you are. And it doesn't hurt your image to swear a little, making everyone think how tough and how cool you are. And don't forget to walk with a little swagger! Then people will conclude you're really something!
How the gospel goes against the grain! The sea beast is attempting to take the place of Jesus Christ in the hearts of earth's inhabitants. And to a degree he succeeds. But for the real Jesus, greatness does not appear in big talk, swearing, and swaggering. Real greatness is characterized by a basin and a towel (John 13). It humbles itself even to the point of death (Phil. 2:5-8).
I caught just a glimpse of real greatness on the golf course one day. The group a friend and I were playing with took the game very seriously. A string of profanities followed bad shots, as each desperately sought to show that he was better than the others. On the seventeenth hole the president of the club faced a crucial shot. The game was close, and every stroke counted. He studied the layout ahead, took a couple of practice swings, and carefully prepared to hit the ball. But his swing was a little high, and so instead of propelling the ball ahead, he drove it into the ground. I waited in silence for the inevitable. But he said nothing and prepared to swing again. This time he drove the ball even deeper into the ground! Once again he remained absolutely silent. I was amazed. It was like stubbing your toe twice on one trip across the room. Yet he said nothing (you could see on his face that it wasn't easy).
As my friend and I were leaving the clubhouse a little later, I stepped back in and went up to the man, put a hand on his shoulder, and said, "It took a really big man to do what you did on number 17 without swearing."
I learned that day that anybody can swear, but the person of really strong character is the one who can face bitter circumstances without letting loose. It is easier to become president of a golf club than it is to control your speech or humble yourself to serve others. True greatness does not come from following the beast, but rather from following the Lamb. What comes out of our mouth reveals our true character.
Lord, Your words are gracious and kind. You left heaven for me, to save me and to show me the path to true greatness. May You live that kind of greatness through me today.
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