Be Sane.  Be Saved.

Today’s Reading is from 1 Peter 5:5

“Beloved:
Clothe yourselves with humility
in your dealings with one another, for:God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.
So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,                        

that He may exalt you in due time.  Cast all your worries Upon Him because He cares for you.”

Catholic Fundamentalism describes God as  The Loving Programmer.  That makes it easier for some to see that it is reasonable to believe in Him.   Obedience follows belief.   It is refreshingly humbling to realize that The Loving Programmer wrote and downloaded The Creation Program.

When we see ourselves as extremely complicated, human programs who have been written and downloaded within His Creation Program, we can’t help but be even more humble.

Frankly, it’s insane not to be humble.

We have more than rational reasons to be humble.  Today’s Reading lets us know that The Loving Programmer promises  great rewards to those who’ve chosen to be humble.  Each of us is but one of a hundred billion human programs that have been written and downloaded in The Creation Program.  Knowing that we’re merely one of a hundred billion other human programs should be enough to make anyone more humble.

Then, we discover that The Loving Programmer tells us that “God opposes the proud but bestows favor to the humble”.    The logical conclusion:  It is  so insane not to be humble that sanity, itself, may be measured by a person’s distance from humility.  Be sane.  Believe and be obedient.

Farther along in Today’s Reading, that promise is followed by a frightening threat:

“Be sober and vigilant.
Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, steadfast in faith,
knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world
undergo the same sufferings.”

The Loving Programmer makes it clear that a living source of corruption is actively in the world, “prowling around like a roaring lion”.  Satan is driven to not merely erase,  but to devour the precious program that is a human soul.

We are told that those who are “steadfast in faith” may “resist him”.   Those who are not steadfast in their faith are swallowed by his ravenous appetite.  Their souls are consumed and end up in the burning bowels of hell forever.

Then, The Loving Programmer makes this promise to those who humble themselves:

“The God of all grace
Who called you to His eternal glory through Christ Jesus
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you
after you have suffered a little.
To Him be dominion forever. Amen.”

Humility provides rewards that are otherwise unobtainable.  We must follow The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions.  He gives those who will be saved in every age the same  direction: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God” .

Scripture says “God opposes the proud, but bestows favor on the humble.”  It is sane want to be saved. Therefore, we obey His command:   “So, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God.”