Code Word: Zebra

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“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1Co 1:27-29).

That no flesh should glory in His presence -- that is the specific reason why God works is such unusual ways; choosing foolish things to shame the wise things, and weak things to shame things that are mighty. While we may be dazzled here on earth by the physical looks and achievements of spectacular people -- Heaven is unimpressed.

And for those who follow Christ, it can sometimes be a real challenge to disconnect from the constant pull toward self-promotion is this “flesh exalting” world. Maybe this short story will help.

A friend of mine, Jack, is retired from a high-powered career that had him rubbing elbows with the high and mighty in Washington, DC. He was a shaker and a mover, overseeing a nationwide enterprise that employed thousands of people, and affected millions of lives. There was never a dull moment.

Back in those days Jack wore his power suit with his power tie; gold cufflinks, and designer shoes. He snapped his finger, and fifty associates jumped to attention, ready for action. The only problem was that Jack also brought this energy home with him, disrupting the peace of his house.

And his dear wife decided to set him straight on a few things.

“These are your children,” she contended, “not your employees. You need to find a way when you come home to change gears from being a boss to being a dad.”

“What do you have in mind?” Jack asked.

“Zebra,” his wife answered.

“Zebra?”

“Yes, Zebra. Whenever I see you doing that boss-thing, I will use the word zebra in a sentence; like, 'did you hear about that zebra at the zoo?' Or, 'I was watching a TV special about zebras today.' When you hear the word zebra – chill out.”

“That’s a great idea, Jack said; but I’m curious -- why did you decide on the word zebra?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” she replied, “a zebra is nothing but a jackass in a pinstripe suit!”

Jack chilled out – and peace came back into his home! Maybe each one of us can do the same, especially if we are strutting our stuff and trying to impress others with how powerful, how smart, how clever, how rich, or how knowlegeable we are.

Maybe we just might hear the Lord ask, "Did you hear about the Zebra at the zoo?"
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