Lessons From Garfield

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. (Proverbs 16:1-5; 18-19 ESV). It was the middle of June in 1978 that Garfield, the fat, lasagna-eating cat created by Jim Davis, first appeared in a comic strip. Few people who read the comics have not been amused at Garfield’s antics, however we can learn some things from him. He epitomizes pride and arrogance. It is not a virtue to be emulated! Solomon was very clear about the destructive influence of pride in our text this morning. David Rhodes said it another way: “Pride is the dandelion of the soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest encouraging cracks. And it flourishes in good soil: The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness.” It is a clear warning to us. Another man also known for his wisdom, Benjamin Franklin, settled on thirteen virtues, including the following: silence (“Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation”); frugality (“Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing”); industry (“Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions”); and, tranquillity (“Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable”). He set up a book with a page for each virtue, lining a column in which to record “defects.” Choosing a different virtue to work on each week, he daily noted every mistake, starting over every thirteen weeks in order to cycle through the list four times a year. For many decades Franklin carried his little book with him, striving for a clean thirteen-week cycle. As he made progress, he found himself struggling with yet another defect. “There is perhaps no one of natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it. Struggle with it. Stifle it. Mortify it as much as one pleases. It is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself…even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.” How true! A U.S. Air Force transport plane with its captain and 5 crewmembers was flying over Alaska in the mid-50s when they entered an unusually fierce snowstorm. The navigator contacted an air base only to be told that he had veered several hundred miles off course. Correct coordinates were given to the navigator, who continued to insist that his own calculations could not be that far off. Soon the plane ran low on fuel. The six men decided to abandon the plane and parachute to safety, but because of the -70 degree Fahrenheit temperature and winds that gusted to 50 mph, they were all frozen within minutes of hitting the ground. As a result of the navigator’s pride, 5 other people went to their deaths. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.” (Proverbs 12:15). Perhaps you need to pull some dandelions out of your “garden” today. Begin by focusing only on Christ as your comparison. Then thank God for all the gifts He has given you, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. Admit that without Him your really are nothing at all.