Monday, November 25, 2013
367 - Pride, Peace and Thanksgiving
Spirituality Column #367
November 26, 2013
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville
November 26, 2013
Current in Carmel-Westfield-Noblesville-Fishers-Zionsville
Pride, Peace and Thanksgiving
By Bob Walters
I
stopped being proud of my two sons about 12 years ago. I decided to be thankful for them instead.
That
shift in attitude and lexicon has not adversely affected either of them. It has, however, had the positive, peaceful effect
of sparing my close friends the “proud snorting” (Job 39:20) of me going on and on about how proud I
am of my boys.
Now
in their 20s, they are doing well and I am thankful. The last thing I want to do is inflict my ego
on their accomplishments and the first thing I want to avoid is an out-loud
declaration of personal pride about anything.
Better in all cases – kids, career, business, athletics, religion,
relatives, real estate, smart deals, dumb luck or whatever – to declare God-directed
thanksgiving rather than to harbor personal pride. Here’s why.
There
are two kinds of pride in the Bible. One
is simple and obvious, and the other is complex and sublime. One is the father of all sin, and the other
is the mother of all love. One is
arrogance grounded in our worldly, fallen selves, and the other is confidence
grounded in our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
As
to the first, prideful Satan (Genesis 3) tempted unfallen Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden with a proposition: Why should they not have the same knowledge
as God? When Adam and Eve used their God-given
freedom to give themselves primacy over God’s promise, that was “The Fall,” the
dawn of human pride: the chief of all sins.
The
Bible’s second kind of pride is God-focused, internal, and unseen. Hence, it was OK for the Apostle Paul to “take
pride in his ministry” (Romans 5:12) and “in other followers of Christ” (2
Corinthians 7:4). Deep pride in Christ,
Paul explains, is necessary to “answer those who take pride in what is seen
rather than what is in the heart” (2 Corinthians 5:12). John plainly describes the difference: “… the
pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16). In other words, the “seen” is the sinful
world, and the “heart” is the love of God.
The
first kind of pride is foolish, stubborn, and destructive, pulling life’s focus
dangerously off of God and onto our own being.
The second reveals sacred focus and resolve in the divine love of
Christ. Hermeneutics aside, “I’m proud
of …” – whatever – sounds grindingly self-serving. It’s better to just continually, humbly,
thank God because thanksgiving mutes pride, brings peace, and praises God.
They should have
a holiday for that.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) is thankful for sons Eric and John, wife Pam, and the peace of
trusting God’s faithfulness. Happy
Thanksgiving.
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