James 2:1
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
Be careful what you pray for! Two weeks ago I asked the Lord to break me of my pride. It’s hard to explain what brokenness feels like exactly. It’s almost like complete emptiness or extreme isolation. It’s not exactly depression but you definitely don’t feel like yourself. If I came out of this experience more aware of anything, I’d have to say I obtained a better understanding of how disgusted God is with my pride.
James warns us not to hold our faith in the Lord with an “attitude of personal favoritism.” I have to admit that this is a very difficult standard for me to keep. Last Sunday my pastor was speaking on this very issue and stated that, “People want to see those they love in the best way possible.” He went on to explain this is why those who are abused or mistreated often don’t acknowledge the problem. When someone tells them that their loved one is not treating them correctly, they dismiss it, allowing themselves only to see the good.
How much more can this truth be applied to our own lives? If we love ourselves more than anyone else it will become difficult both to accept our weaknesses and to acknowledge someone else’s strengths. Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m glad I’m not that person,” or “They just don’t get it, do they?” That’s pride. Pride is allowing yourself to be convinced of another’s inferiority or of your own superiority. Thoughts such as this only lead one to bitterness and discontentment in every area of life. When we become convinced that we are “stronger” Christians or “better educated” individuals, we seldom allow the advice of others to affect us. This in turn will only close several of the doors through which the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
Pride is so easily overlooked by the one that it consumes. I have still yet to realize the full implications of what God began to show me last week. This much I do know though: He is disgusted with the little pride I admit to having. It scares me to imagine how much more He must be disgusted with what is still beyond my ability to see! Do you love yourself so much that you can only see the good? I challenge you to ask the Lord to reveal any hidden pride within your heart. Be careful though, often times the weakness of our minds can’t bear to know the truth of who we are… then again, is that not the perfect cure for pride?