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Articles
Humility Is Greater Than Pride
“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Once again, we have come to the month when pride is celebrated as some great virtue in our society. Pride is bad enough on its own, but it’s made worse when one is proud of sinful behavior. Even children’s shows have gotten in on the celebration in recent years. This year it was Sesame Street’s turn to wish everyone “Happy Pride Month” on social media. As Christians, we understand such things are sinful. So how do we take care to shine our light at a time when such darkness is so popular? Here are just a few thoughts about how to remain humble in a world filled with pride.
Never be rude to anyone. A common mistake Christians make is when we categorize sin (Romans 6:23). When we categorize some sins as more or less socially acceptable as others, we tend to treat those guilty of the “bad” sins more harshly than those who are guilty of sins which do not offend our sensibilities in the same way. We find helpful wisdom in II Timothy 2:24-26. To paraphrase Paul’s instructions to Timothy - don’t go looking for an argument, but be kind, patient, gentle, and look for a teaching moment. After all, every person is made in the image of God, and that alone deserves some respect (Genesis 1:26).
Never be proud of sin. Regardless of how much the world wants to promote it, homosexuality is a sin, (Romans 1:24-27; I Corinthians 6:9-11). Instead of being proud of sin, God wants you to mourn over your sin (James 4:8-10)! Likewise, we should never celebrate another person’s sin or encourage it in any way! Sin separates one’s soul from God. That is not cause for a pride parade, that is cause for mourning and humility.
Never be ashamed of the gospel. Adopt the attitude of Paul when he said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,” in Romans 1:16. There is no greater act of humility than completely submitting your life to Jesus Christ. At the same time, humbly submitting your life to Christ is nothing to be ashamed of. To be ashamed of the gospel is to be ashamed of the power of God! Sharing the gospel with souls lost in sin is an act of love. When it comes time to address sin in a person’s life, just remember to stay humble and kind.
In II Timothy 1:12, Paul writes, “I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” Let us be fully convinced in the saving power of Jesus Christ and His gospel. In our conviction, let us always remember that humility is greater than pride.
