Pride (Revisited)

This blog is going to be a little shorter. Which is probably a good thing. I simply want to say a few words about pride. I know I have covered this before, yet there have been many events this week that have reminded me of the dangers that pride can bring to the Christian. There is nothing more dangerous than pride. It can seep into the heart and mind and hide there like a cancer. It blinds us to the point where the most arrogant and prideful statements we make seem like humility to us. We are cutting with our words, sarcastic and unloving toward fellow Christians. This is something that we all struggle with to a degree. I believe pride is the root of every sin because at the root of every sin is us putting our way above God’s. This is the epitome of pride. We would rather look right and have others think we are right than let peace reign and unity prevail.

Now, I believe there are times where we must be dogmatic about issues. The Gospel, Christ, the resurrection, the virgin birth, these are all hills that we should gladly die on. This is when we must be dogmatic and unmoving whatever anyone says. These are essential issues. These are issues that have eternal implications. We must get them right. However, there are other issues that we call secondary or nonessential. These are the biblical subjects that we are allowed to have different opinions on because Scripture is simply not explicit or dogmatic about them. I believe creationism, end-times and mode of baptism are just a few of these nonessential doctrines that we must be willing to have grace in. Yet in my experience, there are those in the Christian realm that, although they will confess these issues are secondary, will fight, argue, debate and put down all those that disagree with their conclusions. This is simply pride in action.

We must be willing to let peace cover over in situations that does not call for a dogmatic stance. The time to fight will come, if we are actually acting like Christ. When those times do come we must stand and fight to the last man. Yet we must be carful in all things to curb our pride and fleshly desires. They hold no place in the life of a Christian. They only do damage and ruin the Christian’s platform. They diminish their ability to be a light and encouragement to other believers. Pride isn’t worth it. Having others see you as right simply is not worth the payoff. We must remember that we have nothing to be prideful about. All we have and all we know has been revealed to us through the work of Christ. It’s not because we are smarter or on a higher plane than other Christians. All we have is from God and we are owed nothing.

I greatly apologize if this seems like a rant. I truly hope to be encouraging and convicting in my writing. I am simply very discouraged to see the level to which some will descend in order to keep their status of being seen as right or in control. Pride is deadly. It never just affects one person. It always causes pain and frustration to anyone that is in its vicinity. So my encouragement to you is simply this. Put away all desire to be exalted. God will exalt you if He sees fit to do so. Make your life about the simple, everyday tasks of the Christian. Put pride away. It isn’t worth it. The relationships that are damaged by it are too precious for us to throw away for something as trivial as perception. Make Christ what you exalt and don’t fall into the trap of thinking yourself humble. This is where Satan and the flesh do their quickest and deepest work. Make much of Christ and perhaps let some of the nonessential arguments go. Is being right truly that important?