PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Ezekiel 27:1-28:26; Hebrews 11:17-31; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 27:15-16

“In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’ But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are a god. You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel and think no secret is hidden from you. With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth—gold and silver for your treasuries. Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud.”

“It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.”

“All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.”

“A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands.”

There really is no arguing the fact that a lot of what the Old Testament says can be directly applied to America today. We got fat, happy and prideful. Now, we’re getting our comeuppance, along with the rest of the world of which we were so careless. Such is the way of Scripture. We may think we are reading it, when all the time, it is reading us. Its pages can teach us much about ourselves, even if there is not a religious hair on our heads. The question is whether or not we want to be that knowledgeable. Plausible deniability can cover a multitude of sins.

Take, for instance, the problem of personal pride. When not limited to boasting in Christ, pride lulls us into thinking we are good enough and don’t need to worry about growth or stagnation. The fact, however, is that as long as there is room for additional growth or a risk of stagnation (and when isn’t there?), we take our current spiritual condition for granted at our peril. The Lord is not impressed with our self-congratulations or our tendency to take credit away from Him. He expects us to remain humble and open to His prodding, no matter what life throws at us.

On a personal level, I tend to grow more and better when I’m willing to accept teachings from the Spirit in the very middle of life. That’s when it counts, when the chance is immediately given to put up or shut up, to trust or walk away. But I must first of all be attentive so I do not miss the Message. I have to evaluate myself and my acts and omissions honestly, allowing the Son to show them to me as He sees them. Then, I must be reconciled His coaching. None of this will happen, though, if pride is in the way, blinding and deafening us.

So, we must initially listen unceasingly. The Spirit’s voice – at least when I hear it the most - usually begins with gentle chastisement. I typically find I have affirmatively messed up, or haven’t been doing any affirmative thing at all. The Spirit attempts to bring me back ‘round, to focus on Him and His ways. (It seems the Spirit doesn’t waste time reviewing lessons that don’t need to be taught, all the more reason to listen when He does instruct.) Once the Lord has my attention, the process of course correction can begin. This is typically akin to sticking a spiritual bridle around my head and giving several good yanks to one side or the other. Ordinarily, it’s hard not to respond to such guidance from the Father, like it or not. However, there are times when vanity refuses to accept the direction and insists on its own way regardless. This results in significant problems for both the proverbial horse (me) and rider (God). I try to buck Him off or just ignore Him, until each tug gets weaker and less definite. I eventually find myself without His guidance… or inspiration. That’s when I know I’m in trouble for sure. My pride has resulted in prejudice to me and others with whom I may come into contact. Simply, I’ve missed the point.

See, that’s the price of pridefully rejecting God’s instructions: He allows us to get lost, usually long before we realize it. Pride always gives rise to prejudice, unless it is a justifiable boasting in the Lord. The Author of Change has created a world where everything changes over time. Stagnation is never an option, not really. Those who disregard Jehovah’s commands will eventually find themselves victimized by the same change they seek to avoid by resisting the Spirit. How do we work around this? By faithfully acting out what the Son has commissioned us to do. Make disciples.

Not only does the recruitment and care of disciples teach those we come in contact with, but it teaches us as well. It teaches us to discern between those who honestly have the appropriate spiritual gifts and those who are mere pretenders at the Throne of Grace. As the Creator uses us to speak His words of encouragement, we also come to understand just how well He has planned for our own spiritual development, and the related choices He gives us to make. We can only make the right decisions if we are free of personal pride.