Prideful or Humble

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

PRIDEFUL OR HUMBLE

Luke 14:7-11

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

NIV

As far as a wedding feast in our days we do not get to pick our place at the table, for the seating chart is already made out by the bride and most likely her mother. So they have already decided who gets the upfront tables, who gets to sit far in the back, and maybe even with some of the children. No worries, we would not have this situation that Jesus is discussing. However, the general idea of being either prideful or humble certainly can apply to many areas in life, however, we should focus on the area of the church where we gather and where we all sit, especially when we have a carry-in, or go out together at a restaurant as a group. Then we come to the specific area of pridefulness, and where we might see that in our lives, versus those same areas where we could exhibit humbleness. Of course, as a follower of Jesus, we should always exhibit humbleness because that is what is in our hearts, or that is our nature because Christ is in us and we are in Christ. We wonder how as a believer, as a follower of Jesus Christ, as one who has the indwelling of the Spirit of God could even become filled with pridefulness, and yet that temptation stands before at every turn. We see prideful Christians, we watch them being so puffed up over things they think made them superior to others, their educational level, their position, or title in the body of Christ, their importance in the church because of the amount they give, or how much they do. We have seen it over the years, the puffed-up believers, and we wonder if we have ever joined in with them. Then we wonder if we can become prideful of being humble. True humility understands we are who we are, a sinner saved by grace. It does not matter what title or position or what we do or have in this world, all that is temporary. Humility should mean we are nothing more than a child of God, a friend of Jesus, although it seems we want to see ourselves as a servant of God, serving God. In the realm of the heavenlies, we all stand at the same place, at the feet of the Lord. In the eternal, there is no distinction between any of mankind except whether we are the sheep or the goats, whether we are in our out, whether we have eternal life or perish. If we focus on the eternal then this temporal has no reason for being prideful, but only being humble before God and men.