Pride
Cultivate humility - Proverbs 16:18-27
God wants you to learn to walk in humility and kindness, not arrogance and pride. Pride comes before a fall: ‘First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall’ (v.18, MSG).
We are reminded that ‘It’s better to live humbly among the poor than to live it up among the rich and famous’ (v.19, MSG).
A lack of power is very frustrating at times when we think we know how best to advance the kingdom of God. However, Jesus had very little power from a human point of view. He was ‘lowly in spirit and among the oppressed’ (v.19).
‘Lowliness of spirit’, the opposite of pride, brings:
Prosperity. Humility means a willingness to learn: ‘Those who give heed to instruction prosper’ (v.20a).
Happiness. The humble trust in God: ‘Whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord – happy, blessed, and fortunate is he’ (v.20b, AMP).
Healing. As opposed to the arrogant words of the proud (‘scoundrels plot evil and their speech are like a scorching fire’, v.27), the humble use pleasant words (‘pleasant words promote instruction’, v.21b). ‘Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and healing to the bones’ (v.24).
Serve and witness - Acts 25:23-26:23
What should you do if you get the opportunity to testify about Jesus? How should you go about telling your story? We see in this passage a great example of what to do.
Paul, on trial, tells the court that Jesus gave him a commission to serve: ‘I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness’ (26:16). As Jesus came ‘not to be served, but to serve’ (Mark 10:45), all of us are called to be servants and witnesses. A witness humbly points beyond him or herself. Paul humbly points to Jesus. Here we see how he fulfills this calling.
Paul, in prison and on trial, comes face to face with pride and ‘great pomp’ as he is brought before Agrippa and Bernice (Acts 25:23). It must have been a very daunting experience.
Paul, once again, simply and humbly gives his testimony. He is polite and respectful to King Agrippa (26:2–3). He conforms to custom and social graces. He skilfully selects the parts of his story that are relevant to his audience.
In the first part of his testimony, Paul uses ‘I’ messages as opposed to ‘you’ messages. Whereas ‘you’ messages can seem arrogant and patronizing, ‘I’ messages are sometimes more effective, as well as being a more unthreatening and gracious way to make a point.
He says he used to be just like them: ‘I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem… I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them’ (v.9–10).
The implicit message is, ‘I was just like you. I was full of pride, power, and pomp. I did what you are now doing. I persecuted Christians just as you are now persecuting me.’
He then tells how Jesus appeared to him and pointed out that in persecuting Christians, he was actually persecuting Jesus. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’ (v.15).
Jesus told him, ‘I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me’ (v.17–18). Through this powerful ‘I’ message of his testimony, Paul is actually saying to them that they are in darkness and under the power of Satan, in need of forgiveness for their sins.
Not only does he point out their needs, but he also points out the way to forgiveness: ‘I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds’ (v.20). In effect, he is saying to these proud and powerful people, ‘You need to repent and turn to God.’
He goes on, ‘I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike’ (v.22). Paul was willing to speak to everyone, to the powerful, and to the weak.
Paul’s message was always centered on Jesus, who had appeared to him on the road to Damascus. He testifies that ‘the Christ must suffer and... rise from the dead’ (v.23, AMP).
