Then James and John… replied, “When you sit onyour glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honour next to you, one onyour right and the other on your left.” Mark10:35, 37 (NLT)
Do you have a problem with pride? I hope you answered yes because none of us are exempt from dealing with it.
When you think of pride, likely you picture someone who is arrogant. But the two Greek words that translate into the words with pride or proud in the Bible also mean to think of yourself above others.
You could take this to mean that you think you’re better than others, and you would be right, but the definition also includes thinking of yourself before others. In other words, being proud is simply being self-centred, and we all need to fight this tendency.
For some, pride shows up like it did for James and John in Matthew 10:35–45. These two brothers wanted to be honoured for their work. Other times, we might be serving at church and doing what looks to be the Christian thing, but really, we’re doing those things because they make us feel superior to others or because they help us avoid guilt. Either way, it’s all about me.
Over the next few days, we’re going to delve deeper into pride and its ramifications. We’ll also talk about Jesus’ response to James and John and learn how He solves this problem we all deal with.
But for now, check in with your pride meter. Ask yourself: “What are my motives for doing what I do? Is it all about me and what I get out of it? Or am I really thinking about what God wants and what benefits others?”
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