Pride Police

The Bible tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we should (Ro 12:3).  What it doesn’t say is, make sure others don’t think more highly of themselves than they should.  God has the humbling department all sewed up.  He doesn’t need you there. Besides, we have more than enough work to do on ourselves.  There’s no need to pile any more onto our workloads.  Our opinions of self -and certainly of others- are to be taken with sober judgment.  They’re to be moderate, not leaning towards extremes. 

The problem with being a pride policeman is the risk of falling into hypocrisy.  One might argue that the preoccupation with checking on another’s pride is a prideful stance itself.  You can find fault without being a fault finder, but a fault finder always finds fault.  One can’t properly discern what’s prideful in another if they are prideful themselves (Mt 7:5).  As long as we’re human, and Jesus has yet to make his second advent, we’ll remain imperfect. 

A person, however, who fearlessly recognizes, addresses, and makes a sincere effort toward correcting their own short comings (as opposed to projecting them on others) is fit to appropriately asses sinful behavior, such as pride (1Co 11:31; 2Tim 3:16).  We’re obligated to correct, in love, not fault find (Lev 19:17; Eph 4:15).  Loving correction, according to God’s word is sometimes necessary.  We may need to accept the wise counsel of someone being led by the Spirit to correct, rebuke, or teach us what is right (Pr 11:14; 15:22; 27:6; Jas 1:5; 1Co 11:31).  And our response to biblical correction will show whether we’re truly caught up in pride or not (Pr 12:15).

Whether intentional or not, perception of others is always effected by perception of self (Ge 4:1-12).  What is often mislabeled as pride is not pride at all.  It’s often the result of a person thinking lowlier of themselves (their abilities, accomplishments, gifts, physical characteristics, etc.) than they ought to, that makes rich soil for planting seeds of jealousy and resentment of others.  Distorted perception of self will cause one to misjudge another’s motives or intent.  It will lead them to call a person who is striving for perfection, someone who thinks they’re perfect.  It’ll lead them to search for another’s wrongs, instead of appreciating what’s right.  It’ll hinder them, and prevent them to serve God freely as they’ve been called to do (2Co 3:17).   

It’s not unusual for children of Cain to throw their own insecurity on others; especially others who are apparently enjoying the benefits they don’t believe they can have for themselves (or even someone they love).  To fittingly bind this evil, divisive spirit, we must identify it, and call it by its name:  jealously (jealous- adj. 2. Hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage [m-w.com]).  Don’t buy into the Tempter’s lie of jealousy!  God is not a respecter of person.  What He’ll do for another, He’ll surely do for you (Ro 2:11; Mt 25:14-30; 1Co 3:3; 2Co 12:20; Gal 5:20).  If we are to live lives pleasing to the Lord, these seeds of envy and jealousy must be uprooted before we become murderous descendants of Cain, whether in thought, speech or deed.     

Those Who Wait

As much as I like blogging, starting next week I’ll post only once per week, as I have other priorities that require more of my attention.  But considering I’ve been posting three times a week for about three months, I have quite a few posts in my archive.  So, I’ll encourage readers read them and comment on them still.

There are many benefits to being patient, which is something I’ve been struggling with lately.  My grandmother suggested I write a blog entry on this topic every week.  We have encouragement through scripture in patience, as well as restoration through patience.  And patient people promote peace and enjoy harvest (Pr 15:18; Isa 40:31; Ro 15:4; Jas 5:7-8).

We should be patient because it’s commanded (Mt 22:37-39; 1 Co 13:4; Ro 12:12; 1 Th 5:14).  It shows trust and wisdom (Ps 40:1-4; Pr 19:11).  And God himself demonstrates patience (1 Ti 1:16; Nu 14:18).  Thank you for it Lord!  The hope Christians have is a byproduct of salvation (Ro 8:24-25,NIV note on v. 24).  Although we may experience momentary discouragement, a person who is saved is never hopeless, and doesn’t live a life that is characterized by hopelessness. So patience during suffering must also result.

In Hebrews 6:12, faith, patience, and the inheritance of the promise is juxtaposed with laziness.  Faith and patience are not passive, but active (see also Heb 7; Jas 2:17).  Faith must be proven by action.  Just as the farmer waits for the land to yield its crop, he continues to tend to the land and provide a healthy environment where crops will flourish (Jas 5:7-8).  And see how grumbling and complaining are also counter-productive and not indicative of one who is saved.  Complaining brings about judgment, not a harvest (Jas 5:9).  Bless us Lord!  Patience is also juxtaposed with pride (Ecc 7:8).  Patience says wait on the Lord.  Have wisdom and trust.  Recall past victories.  Surely God has even greater in store!  Pride says, do things your own way.  It ain’t comin’ fast enough.  And don’t you know that God will not reward impatience (Heb 11:6)?   

The things that I believe God want for me require me to be patient and faithful and work as one who is waiting for a promised harvest, not work as one who’s at it all alone.  My promise is in the seed of God’s word, not manmade devices!   

Racism

It is so necessary to approach God’s word with a spirit of sincerity, desiring the truth, and to pray for spiritual discernment in this, because it blows my mind how much people distort biblical scripture in order to fit their own prideful and selfish ideas (Jn 4:24).  Racist Christians –a contradiction in terms- is a practice that has been accepted for far too long.   We need to be careful not to align ourselves with others (e.g. the Ku Klux Klan) who preach the hatred of racism based on a perversion of God’s word.  Racism is defined as a belief that race (a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics; a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits) is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent  superiority of a particular race; and is also defined as racial prejudice or discrimination. 

So, what appeared to be what we know as racism today, in the Old Testament was no more than God demanding absolute spiritual devotion from his people.  Before God’s word was preached to the Gentile people, everything associated with them (their shared interests, habits, characteristics) was, in fact, sinful and spiritually unclean because they didn’t recognize God (1 Sam 17:26).  Their beliefs were at issue, not physical characteristics.  This is why interfaith marriage, then and now,  is considered detestable to God.  We’re told to not be joined together with unbelievers because righteousness and wickedness have nothing in common (2 Co 6:14).  There is no fellowship.  There is no harmony (v.14-15).  Again, the issue here is belief.  When the Canaanite, Hittite, Perizzite, etc. races (meaning nations or peoples) are spoken about negatively, it is because of their detestable practices (Ezra 9:1).  The people of Israel -God’s people- were identified as ‘the holy race’ because they were believers of God’s word (v.2).  It was their belief that justified them as a people, not their nationality, skin tone, native tongue, or any other superficial characteristic.  Again, God’s concern was that their mingling with foreign people eventually would lead them into unfaithfulness, and it did (v.2; Neh 13:27).        

A strict adherence to Mosaic Law, and cultural practices associated with it laid the foundation of the faith that would later be clarified -not abolished- by Jesus Christ’s teaching of grace in the Gospel (Mt 5:17).  God does not show favoritism, but accepts people from anywhere  that revere him and do what’s right (Ac 10:34-35; Ro 2:9-11; 10:9-13).  And since we’re to be like God, we’re told not to show favoritism as well (1 Pe 1:16; Jas 2:1-13).  If we do, we sin (Jas 2:9).  Don’t be like one of the experts of the Law who wanted to justify his own racist views (Lk 10:29).  Like the good Samaritan, we’re to treat our others as ourselves (Lk 10:25-37).  This is our charge:  to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything Jesus Christ has commanded us, according to God’s word, which is the Holy Bible (Mt 28:19-20; Jn 1:1-2, 14).       

Grieving God

I was just thinking about how we attempt to misuse God (and trust me when I tell you, it’s only an attempt) when we treat him like a genie, who’s only useful for granting wishes (I had a little writer’s block).  But God demands that we love him, deeply respect him, and do what he tells us to do.  Our obedience is his due, and our duty, in love (Ecc 12:13; Pr 3:6; Lk 10:27).  And when we don’t do what he tells us to, God isn’t merely angered, but saddened (Gen 6:5-6, 11-12). 

Yes, our motivation for doing God’s will should be in love.  And that includes a desire not to sadden our God who wants only the best for us (Jer 29:11).  I say this to encourage, not only you, but me as well:  Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God by choosing to do wrong; don’t burden him (Eph 4:30; Isa 43:24).  He will not stand for it (Heb 10:26-31).  Have enough faith in God to obey him (Ro 1:5).

God has given us the ability, in him, not to give in to the temptation to sin (1 Co 10:13).  So, let’s throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1).  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that we will not grow weary and loose heart.  In our struggle against sin, we’ve not yet resisted to the point of shedding our blood (Heb 12:3-4).  Jesus suffered way more than he’s asking any of us to, which should be encouragement when we’re tired and tempted to become disheartened. 

Have an appropriate relationship with God.  Give him the honor and reverence that belongs to him (Failure to do so is sinful).  Don’t grieve God by believing the lie of pride that says he’s here to serve us.  He is not a dag-on genie!