Too Big for Their Britches

My dad had a saying that originated from his generation. Any time a person became full of himself he would comment, "He is too big for his britches." Pride and arrogance have been running rampant since before Noah's Great Flood. Any time human beings think they know better than the Lord they become guilty of sinful pride. "Pride goes before the fall." (Proverbs 16:13) In Texas the phrase is, "He sits too tall in the saddle." It is the same idea. People fill up with self to the extent that they will do anything they believe to be best for themselves even if it means it is bad for others. Being too big for your britches isn't a good thing.

In view of the recent scandals involving the Federal Government this phrase seems to fit the mindset of those on the hot seat. If you have watched any of the testimony regarding the IRS Scandal those people demonstrated the phrase. They simply will not admit to doing anything wrong. They can't remember or they plead the fifth. They don't appear to know who directed the agency to target conservative groups like the Tea Party. But I suspect underneath this evasion lies sinful pride. They have become too big for their britches.

As government grows and increases in size and scope the agencies and institutions who run it so does the tendency to become too big for it's britches. This observation makes sense because of the human heart. The hunger for power is fed by pride. Controlling more and more of people's lives feeds the human ego. I once met a bureaucrat who proudly proclaimed to be a fourth generation Washington D.C. citizen. No doubt his family worked in the giant bureaucracy during these years. But you could hear the pride in his voice.

We must be careful about becoming too big for our britches. Christians can become full of spiritual pride to the detriment of their faith. This type of pride grows into a sense of entitlement. Since we do so many good things for the Lord pride takes over and we begin to think, "God owes me!" But He doesn't owe us anything! We owe Him everything! This is why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3) In order to live faithfully before God one has to submit self through the attitude of humility and dependency.

I really believe those leading the government would benefit from drinking out of the spiritual cup of humility. That way they would not become too big for their britches. The fact of the matter is that power often corrupts those who seek it. The old quote rings true. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." At the heart of the issue is sinful pride. Any politician who becomes too big for his/her britches will lead us in the wrong way! If you doubt me just read history.