A Time to Laugh

Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Proverbs 3:34

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 4

Humility is far from a blue ribbon we earn. When Icarus floated his waxy wings right toward the sun, when those Babeling architects built their ziggorat toward the sky, when Cain offered his tasty veggies — all were demonstrating the opposite of humility — hubris.

In fact, any of our efforts, however well-intentioned, are hubris. After all, Icarus’ dream to fly was a noble one. Those Babylonians were just trying to reach God after all. And Cain was sacrificing to God. Those are all honorable, seemingly-selfless things.

But done without God they are contemptible. It’s not that we must be passive and let go and let God. And it’s not a battle between God and me. It’s that we realize Whose we are and Who blesses our work. God’s going to do His work, and He invites us to join Him. He makes those toddler toys do amazing things because He’s right there with us, enjoying us and loving us.