“Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” ~ Thomas Merton
Pride is a terrible curse. It makes a person take his or her eyes off of the Lord and focus upon self. It promotes self and the glorification of self.
That is not to say that we should not feel good about ourselves. There is nothing wrong with that at all. However, when we feel that we are better — far superior — than all others, we are in jeopardy. It then becomes too easy to cross the line and begin to think that we are better — far superior — than God as well. That is a trap that the devil lays for us and one that we need to avoid at all cost.
Paul wrote to his beloved Church and reminded them of the importance not to let pride get in their way. “Brothers and sisters: Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written, so that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over against another.” (1 Cor 4:6b) He knew that the experiences waiting for them in the Spirit would be powerful.
With the great power of God at work among them and through them, they might begin to think that they were the engineers of what was happening and forget that it was God working through them. That is the danger that awaits us all. In our pride, we often think that we are the ones who accomplish great things and forget to put the credit where it is due: in God’s hands.
As God cares for others through us, God also cares for us through others. That is, unless we are too filled with pride to allow that to happen. When we do not allow others to help us, we fail to help others and lose the dynamic of God in our lives.
FAITH ACTION: In all humility, go to the aid of another person this day.