Today's Daily Bread
Arrogance And Pride
In The Screwtape Letters written by C.S. Lewis, a senior
devil urges his young protégé to divert a Christian’s thoughts away from
God and focus instead on the faults of the people around him at church.
During a Sunday service, I found myself distracted and somewhat
annoyed by a person near me who sang loudly off key and was out of sync
during the unison readings. But when we bowed our heads for a time of
silent prayer, it struck me that the Lord must surely be more pleased
with that other person’s heart than with the judgmental feelings He saw
in mine.
A few days later I happened to read Proverbs 8 and was struck by
verse 13: “Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I
hate.” Throughout this chapter, wisdom calls to us to gain an
understanding heart (v.5) and to find life and obtain favor from the
Lord (v.35). The alternative is to go through life with a superior
attitude while dying inside in the process (v.36).
Pride is a sword that wounds the person who uses it along with those
against whom it is used. Arrogance robs us of all God longs to give us,
but “by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life”
(22:4).
Oh, just a bit of Thy meekness, my Savior,
To be the least when of self I would boast;
Finding my glory and strength in Thy favor,
Know in my weakness Thy grace can do most. —Bosch
To be the least when of self I would boast;
Finding my glory and strength in Thy favor,
Know in my weakness Thy grace can do most. —Bosch
Pride brings shame. Humility brings wisdom.
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