: an attitude or feeling of victory or superiority: as
a : the attitude that one religious creed is superior to all others
b : smug or boastful pride in the success or dominance of one's nation or ideology over others
How does God feel about people who have and attitude of superiority or who are smug, boastful, or prideful?
The Bible says in Proverbs 6:16-19: 16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
He hates even just a proud look. In Proverbs 16:5, it says, "Everyone who is proud at heart is an abomination to the Lord."
That verse scares me because I can be proud when I have no right to be. I have to constantly remind myself how much God hates pride, but loves humility.
We live in a very proud society. Pride seeps into our churches so easily. I am so perplexed when people from every branch of Christianity and from so many denominations proclaim that they are the one and only true church. They proclaim that they are the "correct path" to Christ. Even while they might be loving and kind to others who do not follow their faith, they still can easily be condescending towards others with off-the-cuff insults of other faiths which show how they really feel. I'm not saying one branch/denomination does it more than any other. There are people in all of them who do it, and even though I hate it, I've done it myself.
Honestly, I do not think that ANY of the churches have it all exactly right. I don't think I would feel proud and confident and certain about following any set theology of any denomination/branch of Christianity. I do believe in everything in the Apostle's Creed. I believe the Bible is the word of God. I believe God lifts up the humble, and opposes the proud. He inhabits the praise of His people. He loves it when we take care of each other and love one another. So, I simply want to strive to do those things. I don't want to argue about dogma. I'm more concerned about wrong actions and attitudes than in following the "correct" theology.
"If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing."
I am such a sinner with such a lack of self-control, that even when I feel angry about the pridefulness I see, I can't hold it against anyone. I can't be that servant who was forgiven of a massive debt, but then starts to strangle the slave who owes him. I've been forgiven much, so I must love much. But, it does put me in a funk when I see flagrant examples of spiritual arrogance. I don't know how to stay calm in these situations. I'm sure I'm too sensitive. I really can't believe how much it gets to me. Lord, have mercy on me.
While I don't feel confident about any particular Christian church being the right one, I do feel confident in God's hand in my life. I do feel confident that I need to allow Christ into my life to a greater degree to guide me and to use me, and I need to pray more and be in His word more. I also feel confident that He wants me to be a better servant. Those are the things I trust to be true.
When I have asked others why people's triumphalism gets me so ruffled, the answer I have gotten is that I'm threatened that maybe the people who are being triumphalistic are indeed right. I don't think that is true. I think what is true is that I take GREAT pleasure in being around people who, for the most part, are kindred spirits with me. I love camaraderie. When I find myself in a situation where I feel like we are having a pep rally for a particular faith and not a pep rally for Christ, I know I don't fit in. I feel very alone, and I feel very defensive for the other Christians from other branches/denominations who I love and admire, who are being insulted or looked down upon. Maybe I need to learn to be content to be alone, but I don't know how.
The question came up, "Where is your well where you find the living water of Christ?" For me, it's not in one church. It's with people from many churches who come together and all out of love for Christ. When there are Christians who are together from many different churches, the triumphalistic airs dissipate, the legalistic dogmas disappear, and we can get to the business of worshiping the risen Lord without all of the entanglements.
Again, as I've said in so many blogs before, I know this isn't a huge, big hardship or anything. I know I have been blessed beyond what I deserve. But if anyone has any advice on how to handle this better, please tell me.
He hates even just a proud look. In Proverbs 16:5, it says, "Everyone who is proud at heart is an abomination to the Lord."
That verse scares me because I can be proud when I have no right to be. I have to constantly remind myself how much God hates pride, but loves humility.
We live in a very proud society. Pride seeps into our churches so easily. I am so perplexed when people from every branch of Christianity and from so many denominations proclaim that they are the one and only true church. They proclaim that they are the "correct path" to Christ. Even while they might be loving and kind to others who do not follow their faith, they still can easily be condescending towards others with off-the-cuff insults of other faiths which show how they really feel. I'm not saying one branch/denomination does it more than any other. There are people in all of them who do it, and even though I hate it, I've done it myself.
Honestly, I do not think that ANY of the churches have it all exactly right. I don't think I would feel proud and confident and certain about following any set theology of any denomination/branch of Christianity. I do believe in everything in the Apostle's Creed. I believe the Bible is the word of God. I believe God lifts up the humble, and opposes the proud. He inhabits the praise of His people. He loves it when we take care of each other and love one another. So, I simply want to strive to do those things. I don't want to argue about dogma. I'm more concerned about wrong actions and attitudes than in following the "correct" theology.
"If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing."
I am such a sinner with such a lack of self-control, that even when I feel angry about the pridefulness I see, I can't hold it against anyone. I can't be that servant who was forgiven of a massive debt, but then starts to strangle the slave who owes him. I've been forgiven much, so I must love much. But, it does put me in a funk when I see flagrant examples of spiritual arrogance. I don't know how to stay calm in these situations. I'm sure I'm too sensitive. I really can't believe how much it gets to me. Lord, have mercy on me.
While I don't feel confident about any particular Christian church being the right one, I do feel confident in God's hand in my life. I do feel confident that I need to allow Christ into my life to a greater degree to guide me and to use me, and I need to pray more and be in His word more. I also feel confident that He wants me to be a better servant. Those are the things I trust to be true.
When I have asked others why people's triumphalism gets me so ruffled, the answer I have gotten is that I'm threatened that maybe the people who are being triumphalistic are indeed right. I don't think that is true. I think what is true is that I take GREAT pleasure in being around people who, for the most part, are kindred spirits with me. I love camaraderie. When I find myself in a situation where I feel like we are having a pep rally for a particular faith and not a pep rally for Christ, I know I don't fit in. I feel very alone, and I feel very defensive for the other Christians from other branches/denominations who I love and admire, who are being insulted or looked down upon. Maybe I need to learn to be content to be alone, but I don't know how.
The question came up, "Where is your well where you find the living water of Christ?" For me, it's not in one church. It's with people from many churches who come together and all out of love for Christ. When there are Christians who are together from many different churches, the triumphalistic airs dissipate, the legalistic dogmas disappear, and we can get to the business of worshiping the risen Lord without all of the entanglements.
Again, as I've said in so many blogs before, I know this isn't a huge, big hardship or anything. I know I have been blessed beyond what I deserve. But if anyone has any advice on how to handle this better, please tell me.
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