The Paper Pulpit Pride turns heroes into zeroes Jun. 30, 2013 @ 04:58 AM D.E. Parkerson Benjamin Franklin listed 12 virtues which he thought embodied the traits of a good life: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity and humility. Certainly these are all vital life qualities. Notice, however, that Franklin listed humility last. Jesus taught His followers to put humility first. He also demonstrated humility in His daily walk. Every list of sins in the Bible lists pride first because it is a fracture in the foundation on which our lives are built. “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Some beautiful words written by Isaac Watts make it clear that those who pattern their lives after Jesus Christ will not be dominated by pride. A hymn that he wrote expresses it this way: “When I survey the cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines pride as “inordinate self-esteem; conceit; disdainful behavior; ostentatious display.” We all know persons who possess these qualities. They are so full of pride they can strut even when they are sitting down. Temper gets people into trouble, but pride keeps them there. Pride will do the same thing for you that turning on the dome light in your automobile will do while you are driving down the highway at night. It will have an internal blinding effect that greatly restricts your vision. You will not be able to see clearly the dangers that lie ahead. Dr. Elton Trueblood, the great Quaker theologian, said: “Though the Bible urges us on to perfection it gives no encouragement to suppose that perfection is achieved ... A man who thinks he is righteous is not righteous ... for the reason that he is full of spiritual pride, the most deadly form that sin can take.” The saintly fourth-century Christian, Jerome (347-419 AD), once warned: “Beware of the pride of humility.” The kind of pride he is describing can say, “I am a very humble person, and proud of it.” This is not genuine humility, and it is even worse than pride. Actually it is pride in disguise. It is the odor that gives it away. It is a putrid personality trait to have. Those who possess genuine humility strive to be free from pride and vanity. We have all known and have been blessed by genuinely humble persons. They are transparent in that you can see God through them. Recognition and praise has the power to flood a life and inundate it. If accolades are received by a person who totally enjoys recognition, it can be devastating. Pride is always destructive. It will turn you from a hero into a zero. Those who are genuinely humble see themselves as God sees them. This awakens their need for His love and forgiveness, for they see themselves as sinners in need of God’s grace. They come with empty hands to receive His love which they could never earn, but which is theirs for the taking. Because they have dethroned themselves they have found peace. Vanity, on the other hand, holds its distorting mirror in front of us so that we see only ourselves. The degrading power of vanity is illustrated in a story I recently read of a young lady on a trans-Atlantic trip. She happened to notice a man at the next table having difficulty breathing because of a bad cold. “Uncomfortable?” she inquired sympathetically. In return she received an affirmative nod. “I’ll tell you what to do for it,” she said. “Go back to your stateroom, drink lots of orange juice, and take five aspirin tablets. Then cover yourself with all the blankets you can find and sweat the cold out. I know what I’m talking about. I’m Billie Burke of Hollywood.” The man smiled graciously and said, “Thanks for the recommendation; I’m Dr. Charles Mayo of the Mayo Clinic.” The Rev. D.E. Parkerson is retired pastor of First Baptist Church of Sanford. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 14:19:41 +0000
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