We love to classify sin and believe that we are not the worst of sinners as Paul called himself. After all, we don’t kill or commit adultery, etc. I believe one the most common and perhaps destructive sins we commit is arrogance. Ben Franklin, the image on everyone’s favorite US currency, said “There is perhaps none of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases. It is still alive. Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it I would probably be proud of my humility.”
Paul offers a four step antidote in 1st Corinthians 4 to overcome pride and arrogance in our lives. We must remember who we are (v1), servants of Christ. Our focus should be to serve Christ in humility and not boast about who we are.
Next we need to renew our focus and fix our eyes on Jesus (v2). We are all called to serve in the church, not to complain in the church. If we put as much energy into complaining as to serving, the church would be singing in harmony instead of fighting in agony.
The third antidote to arrogance and pride is to review our motives (vss3-5). When we do decide to serve, we must remember the motivation behind it is to please God and not people or ourselves.
Finally, Paul calls us to respect the right mentors (v16). As our church is looking for a youth pastor, I want to remind parents that you are the greatest example and mentor to your children. If your walk does not match your talk, then you become the greatest example of hypocrisy and stumbling block to your children’s faith. Pastors are so often guilty of this and the victims are their own children.
God desires for all of us to humble ourselves and he will lift us up.
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