Dr. John C. Maxwell was the founder of the
INJOY Life Club, a leadership and mentoring organization I used in
my personal growth plan for years. He tells the story of a friend
who was vacationing on the North East coast of the U.S. and was
invited to go crabbing on the beach. He was handed a basket in which
to carry the crabs as he picked them up off the sand. He asked his
host how he was supposed to keep the crabs in the basket, since it
had no top. The host said that a crab basket didn’t need a top; it
only needs two crabs. He went on to explain that crabs in the basket
would not let any other crab climb out. As one tries to escape, the
others will reach up and pull it back into the basket rather than
help it get out. So, with two or more crabs you don’t need a top;
the selfishness of the crabs will do the job for you. But, that’s
the way crabs are!
I know some people who are just like the
crabs. It seems that their mission in life is to ensure that others
do not succeed. Usually, they have experienced some significant
failure themselves and just can’t seem to do what is necessary to
recover and move forward. So, like the crabs in the basket, they
make a point to discourage others, to pull them down to their
level. I’ve even seen people pull their friends down spiritually,
especially when their friend begins to grow deeper in God’s Word and
their life begins to be more of a reflection of Christ. People like
that are spiritual crabs; they don’t want anyone to grow above them.
The Old Testament warned about them, even back
then. Deuteronomy 11:16 says, “Be careful, or you will be enticed to
turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.” In the New
Testament Paul cautions against them in I Corinthians 10:12, “So, if
you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” In
Hebrews 2:1 you’ll find these words, “We must pay more careful
attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift
away.” In a more modern setting Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can
make you feel inferior without your permission.” All of these
warnings make two things clear; first, others will try to pull you
down and second, the choice is yours, you can stay up spiritually of
allow others to pull you down. I encourage you to do the daily work
of maintaining a close relationship with God, regardless of what the
world around you says or does.
Common Sense Application
1. Revisit who you are spiritually. Write out
your the spiritual experience that brought you into a living
relationship with God. Thank God for that relationship.
2. Rehearse how you will respond to others who
may tempt you to lower your spiritual standards by going places,
doing things or making decisions that contradict your standards.
3. Make a personal commitment to put people
and circumstances in your life that build you up rather than tear
you down.
4. Make a commitment to find ways to lift up those who
would try pull you down. But, be careful. If you start to waiver,
abandon that effort!
|