No Tolerance for Pride

 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” Ephesians 4:2

If anybody should understand how foolish pride is, it should be Christians. If we remember what we were like outside of Christ, if we remind ourselves about how far away from God we were and how enslaved we were by our own sin, we will know that we have no basis for pride and every reason to relate to others with humility.

It’s ridiculous how tolerant some of us are of pride in our own lives. It’s ugly, it’s harmful, but even more, it’s stupid. There is absolutely no basis for it. We are all lost apart from the blood of Christ. How absurd it is that we would look down on someone else or act as if we ourselves do not need help. A Christian who has seen his true identity and what God has done for him should “be completely humble” with everyone. 

Pride is what divides the world. Humility is what brings people together. For us, nothing should make more sense than being completely humble, and no sin should alarm us more than pride. Whenever people are not making progress toward unity, you can be sure of one thing: Someone is not being humble. If we are humble, we will also be gentle. 

The word could be translated “meek” and it is a form of the same word Jesus used in the Beatitudes when he said, “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5). It was a word used by the Greeks to describe a powerful stallion that had been broken and brought under control. To be meek or gentle is to have your passions and emotions brought under control. It is to become teachable and open to input. If we are defensive, irritable, easily angered or full of words with sharp edges, we will alienate others and wound the body of Christ. If we are gentle in spirit, we will bring about reconciliation and healing.

            P