One day a very wealthy father took his son on a trip to the country for the sole purpose of showing his son how it was to be poor. They spent a few days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
After their return from the trip, the father asked his son how he liked the trip. “It was great, Dad,” the son replied. “Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh Yeah,” said the son.
“So what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.”
“We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.” The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “It showed me just how poor we really are.”
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don’t have. What is one person’s worthless object is another’s prize possession. It is all based on one’s perspective.
Sometimes it takes the perspective of a child to remind us of what’s important.
“Lord, bend that proud and stiffnecked “I,” Help me to bow the neck and die, Beholding Him on Calvary, Who bowed His Head for me.”
The following are some of the features and manifestations of the self-life. The Holy Spirit alone can interpret and apply this to your individual case. As you read, examine yourself in the very presence of God. Are you ever conscious of:
A secret spirit of pride-an exalted feeling in view of your success or position; because of your good training or appearance; because of your natural gifts and abilities. An important, independent spirit?
Love of human praise; a secret fondness to be noticed; love of supremacy, drawing attention to self in conversation; a swelling out of self when you have had a free time in speaking or praying?
The stirrings of anger or impatience, which, worst of all, you call nervousness or holy indignation; a touchy, sensitive spirit; a disposition to resent and retaliate when disapproved of or contradicted; a desire to throw sharp, heated flings at another?
Self-will; a stubborn, unteachable spirit; an arguing, talkative spirit; harsh, sarcastic expression; an unyielding, headstrong disposition; a driving, commanding spirit; a disposition to criticize and pick flaws when set aside and unnoticed; a peevish, fretful spirit; a disposition that loves to be coaxed and humored?
Carnal fear; a man-fearing spirit; a shrinking from reproach and duty; reasoning around your cross; a shrinking from doing your whole duty by those of wealth or position; a fearfulness that someone will offend and drive some prominent person away; a compromising spirit?
A jealous disposition, a secret spirit of envy shut up in your heart; an unpleasant sensation in view of the great prosperity and success of another; a disposition to speak of the faults and failings, rather than the gifts and virtues of those more talented and appreciated than yourself?
A dishonest, deceitful disposition; the evading and covering of the truth; the covering up of your real faults; leaving a better impression of yourself than is strictly true; false humility; exaggeration; straining the truth?
Unbelief; a spirit of discouragement in times of pressure and opposition; lack of quietness and confidence in God; lack of faith and trust in God; a disposition to worry and complain in the midst of pain, poverty, or at the dispensations of Divine Providence; an overanxious feeling whether everything will come out all right?
Formality and deadness; lack of concern for lost souls; dryness and indifference?
Selfishness; love of ease; love of money?
These are some of the traits which generally indicate carnality in the heart. By prayer, hold your heart open to the searchlight of God. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me” (Psalms 139:23-24).
The Holy Spirit will enable you, by confession and faith, to bring your “self-life” to the death (Romans 8:12-13). Do not patch over, but go to the bottom. It alone will pay.
Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord, Oh, to be lost in Thee; Oh, that it might be no more I, But Christ that lives in me. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
~ Poem by Roy Hession author of ‘The Calvary Road’
A New Year prayer: “Teach us Lord, to number our days, so that we can present to Thee a heart full of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12)
Spiritual growth and transformation into Christlikeness do not happen overnight. It happens slowly – day by day and little by little. As we sing in the chorus: “Little by little and day by day; little by little in every way, my Jesus is changing me; I am not the same as I was last year; and though the picture is not quite clear, I know He is changing me; Although it’s slow going, this I am knowing – that one day like Him I shall be”. So, let us yield ourselves to the Lord every day this year, so that He can do that work of transformation in us.
Transformed by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word
When the Holy Spirit is allowed to be Lord in our lives, He will liberate us first of all (2 Corinthians 3:17) – freeing us from the power of sin, from the love of money, from the traditions of men that are contrary to the Word of God, and from being enslaved to the opinions of people. The Holy Spirit will then show us the glory of Jesus in the Scriptures and seek to transform us slowly into that likeness, by changing our way of thinking so that we begin to think the way Jesus thought (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:2). The Holy Spirit wants to do that work in us this year. So, submit to Him.
Transformed by Praise and Thanksgiving
“Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18-20). The Holy Spirit wants to give us a spirit of thankfulness that frees us from all gossip, slander, bitterness, and anger. In the seven glimpses of heaven that we see in the book of Revelation, we find that the inhabitants of heaven are constantly praising God. The atmosphere of heaven is one of constant praise, without any complaining or grumbling. The Holy Spirit wants to bring this atmosphere into our hearts and into our homes this year. So, submit to Him.
Transformed by the Grace of God
“The grace of God enables us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live in a righteous, godly way in this evil world” Titus 2:11-12. God wants to transform our thought-life through His grace and make our speech so gracious that it blesses everyone we meet this year (Colossians 4:6). God’s grace also wants to transform the way husbands and wives behave towards each other this year (1 Peter 3:7). And in every trial that we face this year, God can give us grace that is sufficient to meet the need (2 Corinthians 12:9). So, humble yourself in every situation this year – for God gives His grace only to the humble (1 Peter 5:5).
Transformed by Obedience
We are told that Jesus “learned obedience through the things He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Anything that His Father said “No” to, Jesus also said, “No” to. That involved the suffering of denying His own will always. After years of such self-denial, “Jesus was made perfect” (Hebrews 5:9). “Perfect” here means “complete”. In other words, Jesus graduated from the school of obedience and got His degree. This is the degree the Holy Spirit wants us to get too. So, He will take us through many tests. If we fail in any test, He will give us a chance to do it again! He wants us to get the same “degree” that Jesus got and to make us overcomers (Revelation 3:21)! This is the most important degree that we can ever get. So, this year, let us say “No” to our own will and “Yes” to God’s will in every situation, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Transformed by Encouragement from God
“God wants to encourage us in all our trials, so that we can encourage others with the same encouragement that He gives us in our trials” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). We are surrounded by people who are facing many trials and problems. If we want to help them to overcome, we have to go through many trials and problems ourselves first and overcome. The strength and encouragement that God gives us to overcome in our trials will then be what we can offer to others. God wants to make us a blessing to every person and every family that we meet this year (See Galatians 3:8-9, 14). He wants us to encourage someone or the other every day of this year (Read Hebrews 3:13). May it be so.
If you are a man or a woman and claim to be a believer and part of the church, you are Jesus’s wife. You are His Bride and He is the bridegroom, and if we are His Bride, we need to ask ourselves the question, “what type of wife am I?” Am I asking God to send me a spouse, when I’m not even a good wife to Him. If you are saved, do you recognize you are part of the Bride of Christ? And instead of getting people to try and understand your love language, how about you trying to understand God’s love language.
Do you know what God’s love language is?
A) Quality time B) Words of affirmation C) Gifts D) Acts of service E) Physical touch F) All of the above
Answer: F, all of the above.
First of all, Jesus loves quality time. He loves when you spend time with Him in prayer. He loves when you dedicate the morning and just bask in His presence, and seek His face and dwell in His Word. He loves quality time when you dedicate the evening or when you set apart a time in your life where you’re fasting to get closer to God. You want to hear His voice and want to know His sound, and want to be in His presence. God loves quality time.
The Lord loves words of affirmation, not because He needs to be affirmed, but He knows that when you affirm Him, it affirms you! Can I mess with you a second? You don’t read the Bible for God, you don’t read the Bible for God, you don’t pray for God, you’re not watching this message for God, you don’t listen to sermons for God, you don’t worship for God, all that’s for you. You praying is not going to make God any more faithful.
It’s not going to make Him any more Holy, it’s not going to make Him any more righteous. You worshipping is going to help your mind from worrying, because you can not worry and worship at the same time, and a lot of us has got it muddled. We think we’re doing God a service, because we attend church, because we are giving, because we are praying, because we are fasting, and God’s like… don’t you understand I’m already Holy? I can’t get any holier than I already am. I am in a lane all by Myself, there’s no league, I have no competition. The devil’s not even my adversary, I have no competitors, no adversities! You are doing this for you, you’re doing this for your words of affirmation, it affirms you.
He loves when you use your gifts, why? Because He gave them to you. He loves when you worship, because you are using that gift. He loves when you exercise your gift of artistry, your gift of speaking, that gift of business skills, He loves when you do that, because it shows Him off.
The Lord loves acts of service, when you are serving your community, when you’re serving your wife, when you’re serving in the Church. He loves service because you are His hands and feet, so it makes Him look good when you do this!
And God loves physical touch, you know how you touch the heart of God. Anytime you choose His will over your will, that touches His heart. Anytime you say, “God I don’t want to do this, but I trust you and you’re my husband and I’m going to follow you, and I’m going to submit to you, it gives God glory.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” ~ Isaiah 5:20
The tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes has captivated readers for centuries, serving as a sharp critique of human vanity, pride, and collective denial. Hans Christian Andersen’s story, however, speaks with renewed relevance in today’s society, where the desire to fit in often outweighs honesty, and social pressures can obscure truth and clarity. Isaiah’s warning in the Bible, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…” (Isaiah 5:20), resonates deeply in our time. We see modern forms of this inversion in the gaslighting of false truths, narratives that exclude anyone who doesn’t conform, and a “collective narcissism” that prioritizes appearance over integrity. This article revisits the moral insights of Andersen’s story, drawing a parallel to today’s cultural landscape where narratives conflict and individuals face pressure to align with popular opinion or risk exclusion. In a world that frequently blurs lines between right and wrong, Andersen’s cautionary tale offers timeless wisdom, reminding us that courage and innocence, like that of the young child in the story, are essential to speak truth against illusion.
The Tale
Once upon a time… there was an emperor who loved nothing more than fine clothes. He spent all his money on luxurious fabrics and exquisite outfits, caring little for his army, his people, or anything else. He had a new coat for every hour of the day, and instead of attending important meetings, he would simply admire his wardrobe.
One day, two swindlers arrived in the city. They claimed to be master weavers and boasted that they could make the most beautiful fabric in the world—so light and fine that it was almost invisible. But there was something special about it: only the wise and worthy could see it. Anyone who was foolish or unfit for their position would be unable to see the fabric at all.
The emperor was intrigued. “If I had clothes made from this marvellous fabric,” he thought, “I would know who in my kingdom is wise and who is foolish!” So he gave the swindlers a large sum of money and instructed them to begin work immediately.
The two men set up their looms and pretended to weave, though there was nothing on their looms at all. They demanded the finest silk and the purest gold thread, which they stuffed into their bags while they worked at their empty looms late into the night.
Curious about their progress, the emperor sent his most trusted minister to inspect the fabric. The minister entered the workshop, but—oh dear!—he saw nothing. There was no fabric at all!
“Can it be that I am unfit for my position?” the minister thought, his heart pounding. “No one must know!” So he cleared his throat, smiled, and exclaimed, “Ah! Such beautiful colours! Such fine patterns!”
The swindlers beamed with pride. “We are so pleased you like it!” they said, pretending to cut and stitch the invisible fabric.
When the minister returned to the emperor, he reported that the fabric was indeed magnificent. The emperor, eager to see it himself, visited the workshop with his highest officials.
But when he looked at the looms, he saw nothing. Nothing at all!
“Am I a fool? Am I unworthy to be emperor?” he wondered, horrified. But rather than admit it, he smiled and nodded. “It is exquisite!” he declared. His officials, too afraid to say otherwise, all agreed. “Majestic! Stunning!” they cried.
The day of the grand parade arrived, and the swindlers pretended to dress the emperor in his new clothes. They fussed and adjusted the imaginary garments, exclaiming how light and comfortable they were. The emperor stood before a mirror, unable to see anything, yet unwilling to admit the truth.
He stepped out into the streets, and the people of the city gasped. No one could see his clothes—but no one wanted to be thought foolish, so they all cheered, “How splendid! What a marvellous outfit!”
Then, from the crowd, a small child’s voice rang out:
“But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”
A hush fell over the crowd. The people looked at one another, and soon, they began to murmur, “He isn’t wearing anything!”
The emperor felt his face burn with embarrassment. He knew they were right—but what could he do? He straightened his back, held his head high, and continued to march proudly through the streets as his attendants hurried after him, pretending to carry the train of his non-existent robe.
And so, the emperor remained the most foolish of all, trapped by his own vanity and fear of the truth.
Conclusion
The Emperor’s New Clothes remains a poignant reminder that truth can become distorted when pride and conformity overpower self-honesty. Just as the Emperor continued his procession, fully aware of his own nakedness, society today often maintains a facade rather than confront uncomfortable truths. The moral of Andersen’s tale encourages us to value integrity over appearances and to prioritize truth over the allure of fitting in. Let this story inspire us to cultivate discernment, maintain our faith, and seek peace rooted in truth and honesty, drawing courage from the child who dared to speak out. As we navigate a world prone to deception, may we hold firm to what is right and shine light in places obscured by societal pressures.
“Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” ~ Isaiah 26:2-3
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of truth that lights our path. In a world that often values appearance over integrity, help me to see with clear eyes and a discerning heart. Give me the courage to speak truth with humility, even when it’s difficult, and to stand firm in my faith, grounded in Your wisdom. Shield my heart from pride and fear of judgment, so I may live with honesty and peace. May Your spirit of clarity and grace be my guide, as I seek to honor You in all I say and do. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
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