Not long ago someone that I know got very discouraged with his group of friends primarily because they did not agree with him on some issues. So what does he do about it? He cuts ties with everyone and he and his wife went off into seclusion. Boy he showed everyone, didn’t he?
Ahhhh . . . foolish pride is a scourge to the world. This guy and his wife had been very gregarious and led an active social life with friends galore and happy times. Now he has turned his back on most all of them and he and his wife are all alone and unhappier than ever. I called him up and talked to him about it one day and he told me that he knew that he needed to let it go, but he just could not bring himself to do it; too much water had passed under the bridge. I couldn’t convince him to change his stubborn mind no matter what I tried.
It took him decades to garner these good friends, and he has spurned them all over a relatively minor dispute. He might not have any friends, but he has his precious pride intact.
Sigh if only pride was gold, much of the world would be considered wealthy. The Bible states that pride goes before destruction and his plight is a prime example. Pride was the original sin. It began as one of Satan’s most effective tools and remains so through today. Not long ago I quoted some Scripture from Romans that stated that love is the fulfillment of God’s laws. I suppose pride could be considered the antithesis of love when considering the fulfillment of God’s laws.
Some good news that I recently observed was Donald Trump bringing in people that had openly opined against him. What could have possibly crossed his mind when he welcomed them back on stage; what possessed him to forget what a bevy of Democrats had said about him including even Republicans such as his pick for Vice Presidential running mate J.D. Vance, and Ron DeSantis and Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and even one of the Kennedys.
News flash: He didn’t forget, he forgave. It was a nice example to set for a nation so divided. I hope he will follow up with other acts that define the love of Christ. Like Trump we all have a long way to go in that realm.
We should want to see God’s laws fulfilled in our lives because that is how we find peace, joy, and happiness. Godly love must be forgiving – first and foremost! That means we cannot exclusively demand our own way.
I hope my friend finds love in his Christian Walk before he squanders another precious minute of being trapped in Satan’s cruelest method of destroying mankind – Foolish pride. If Donald Trump could forgive, my friend can and so can we.
After reading the Scripture below, please take a moment and reflect on your own life as I have done this morning. I am determined to make some changes in my behavior today. How about you?
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!