In preparing this message I found C.S. Lewis’ chapter on
pride in his book Mere Christianity
to be very helpful. He identifies what sinful pride is not. It is not pleasure
in being praised. I often feel awkward when I’m praised by others. The truth is
that I know the one praising me is grossly overestimating my good qualities. But
we all enjoy genuine and truthful praise. Lewis says, “The saved soul to whom
Christ says, “Well done” is pleased and ought to be.” The problem is in the
person who lives for the applause of others and will do virtually anything to
get it.
Lewis also insists that sinful pride is not “warm-hearted
admiration for another.” For example, it is not sinful for a father to be proud
of his son. Lewis writes, “To love & admire anything outside yourself is to
take one step away from utter spiritual ruin; though we shall not be well so
long as we love and admire anything more than we love and admire God.” The
problem is when we take a precious gift of God, like a son or daughter, and
elevate that gift in our hearts above God.
Spiritual pride is difficult to detect in ourselves and even
more difficult to deal with when detected. In the message I offered an
assignment based on Rebecca DeYoung’s statement in her book, Glittering Vices. She suggests 2
spiritual disciplines in the battle against vainglory & pride: silence
& solitude. “In silence,” she writes, “we can recognize our anxious need to
create an approving audience for ourselves, and the discipline of solitude
removes the audience.”
Here’s the assignment:
- For an entire day don’t
talk about yourself… AT ALL!
- Help someone this week
- Memorize the sinner’s
prayer and meditate on it daily this week: “God, have mercy on me, a
sinner.”
Blessing: (Phil 2:3) “May you ‘do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.’ Amen.”
1 comment:
I was sorry to miss your sermon this week as pride is at the top of my 7 deadlies. No "I statements" for a whole day?! Tough. I'll try. Happy Father's Day Steve.
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