No, Not Pride

A subject that we as Christians don’t like to talk about a lot has been on my heart and deep in my spirit, and that’s PRIDE in the Body of Christ.  Exactly what is pride?  There are many descriptions of it.  Some are “unreasonable conceit”, “haughty behavior”, and “to indulge and boast in oneself”.  God despises pride.

 

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.  (Proverbs 8:13, NIV).

Have you ever heard another believer boast?  The word clearly tells us how to do it.  But, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”  For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.  (2 Corinthians 10:17-18, NIV).  During times with the Lord, my prayer on a consistent basis is “Lord, don’t let this ugly thing creep up in my heart and life.”

 

Sometimes as Christians it can be there and we don’t even realize it.  We have to come to the place where we don’t mind saying and living, “I’m nothing Lord, it’s all about you.  I humble myself and I want more of you.”  In fact, it’s what you have to remember to say and live everyday of your life if you’re doing it God’s way.  Of course we know who we are in the Lord, our confidence lies in Him, we can do all things through Christ who gives us the strength, but everyday still FLESH has to die!  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20, NIV).

 

While writing this, I thought about how the word “selfish” is associated with pride.  What’s wrong with us putting someone else first?  What’s wrong with esteeming another brother or sister in the Body higher than ourselves?  If we do that, is it saying that we are less than they are?  No, it’s not.  It is saying that we are showing and displaying the greatest gift of all LOVE, which leads to UNITY through HUMILITY.  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

 

Scripture of the Day: "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves," - Philippians 2:1-3

Artis L. Smith

Altar Call - April 29, 2012

1-P1100249, a photo by J. Benton Adams Photography on Flickr.

A Short Eulogy

I haven’t written many eulogies thus far in life, in fact I’ve probably only written two. Nevertheless, what I do know of eulogies is that they are the summary of a person’s life – what they liked, what they did, who they were, how they contributed to the world. Hence, at funerals one often hears things like “He was a great businessman; he worked tirelessly to fulfill his dreams”; or “she was so tremendously talented; thousands were touched by her singing”. But how often has a person’s life been summed up as “He was a worshiper; he lived a life of worship”?

Worshiping God is synonymous to ministering to Him, and ministering to God is synonymous to serving Him. Therefore, we worship God with our lives when our lives are spent in His service. 

Now, it can be a tricky thing for you to say you’ve spent your life serving God if you’re not sure what that truly means; because to serve Him means to be at His disposal (consistently faithful to His directives, and committed to developing intimate relationship with Him). That said, a life of worship is:

A life in which God is placed first (Mark 12:30)

A life that is lived according to the principles of God’s Word (Proverbs 3:5)

A life that is surrendered to God’s divine leadership (Deuteronomy 13:4) 

A life that ministers to God by serving His people (Matthew 25:31-46)

A life that brings glory to God (Matthew 5:16)

You see, a worshiper isn’t just the person who sings so melodiously and dances so gracefully on Sunday (for indeed it is much easier to participate in the ‘act’ of worship if it is confined to a Sunday morning experience, than it is to ‘live’ worship if it is stretched into a holistic 24/7 reality). Instead, a worshiper is the person who spends his/her life at God’s disposal, at His feet, in His presence, seeking His will, extending His love to others, representing His truth in the earth, and advancing His Kingdom with what He has given into his/her hands. 

At the end of life’s journey, will your life be summed up by your accomplishments? Or by your relationship with God and His people? Whether you’ll live a life of worship will be determined by which of these you value most. 

Scripture of the Day: “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!” - Psalm 103:1

Artis L. Smith

Jesus Can’t Live There!

New Hope, there are a host of factors that people use in selecting a home.  If there is no pre-existing home built already, the potential homeowners will more than likely choose their new plot of land based on the land value and the neighborhood that they will be living in.  If there is an existing home already built, an entire litany of factors affect whether the home becomes a realistic option for purchase.  The foundation and structure, size, layout, amenities, bonus features, landscaping, any pre-existing conditions, potential for growth, closet space, current wall painting, appliances, garage, neighborhood factors, and so on.  All of these comprise what we call the living conditions.



Most of us, if not all of us, have a standard that we expect regarding our living conditions.  We just wouldn’t accept anything nor would we be comfortable inviting others over into living conditions that appear subpar. 



The same way that we have a standard for our living conditions, Jesus has a standard for His living conditions.  Isn’t it amazing that nowhere in scriptures is it detailed “specifically” what happened between the time when Jesus was buried and the discovery of the stone being rolled away?  I think it is amazing that God doesn’t provide those details and that could be an endless theological discussion, but I think that all of us who believe in the resurrection would agree that DEATH was a living condition that Jesus just couldn’t accept.



Even from his life, he was clear that everything about him was allergic to death, darkness, and defeat.  His entire life purpose repelled it.  This was his message, his methods, and his mission.  It was repeated over and over again throughout the Gospels.  John 10:10 (NIV) he says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  He even went further and said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10, NIV).  The Father was clear on why He was sending His son as such a great sacrifice.  John writes, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3: 17, NIV)



All of these, along with a host of other scriptures, paint a clear picture that Jesus was a magnet for life, living, light, and love.  And He repelled death, darkness, and defeat.

If he was a magnet for these things, we should be as well.  Our spiritual, mental, and emotional living conditions should have this standard.  It should be clear from our perspective, lifestyle, and mentality that we have adopted the same living standards as Jesus. Paul encourages us, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5, NIV)



As you pick your relationships, business deals, engage in meetings, run towards personal pursuits, spend your money, participate in talking and other communications, and set life goals, they should reflect your living standard.  The same way that we wouldn’t put new, expensive furniture in a house that we’ve yet to live in that’s full of termites or bugs, we shouldn’t infect our spiritual houses with things that decay our spirits and destroy our minds.  Your living conditions are reflected through what you do and how you do it.  If Jesus cannot live there, you shouldn’t either.



Scripture of the Day: "He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." - Matthew 28:6 (NIV)

Artis L. Smith - Pastor, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church