Not Being Proud

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

NOT BEING PROUD

1 Cor 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

NIV

Not being proud is a lot like not boasting,  except boasting requires speaking whereas being proud can be held within without any words. However, we think in most cases that this being proud will simple spill out all over the place and those haughty words will pour out. There are quite a few things that we could get a prideful attitude about. Let see, how about our education, or what kind, or how many degrees we have, or that we are smarter than others. Then there is our position in life, what kind of title we have. We might even feel that we are better looking than others, or dress better. There are all sorts of reasons we could think more highly of ourselves than we should, be so proud of ourselves. However, that would mean we really do not love others, but rather have this love affair with ourselves. Now, on the other hand, we should not be self-loathing either, after all, we are a creation of God, in fact, created in his image. Still, we need to see that we are a member of the body of Christ and as such we serve all the other members, doing that which God has called us to do. That requires that we first love the other members of the body and understand that they need us and we need them. We are all one and Jesus and the Father are one. So what is there to be proud about? All the parts are under the direction of the head, and Christ is the head. So then it seems simple enough, we cannot be proud for love is not proud.