THE
PRIDE OF LIFE
The
greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it –
William James.
Love is the strongest
force on earth; it is superior to faith and hope. Unlike faith and hope, love
never fails. Nothing on this earth can withstand sustained love. Yet it is one
of the most misunderstood subjects among humankind. More pathetically, its
application is highly misplaced. Misplaced love becomes lust. Many people for
example love this world rather than God and His Word. In other words, many
people love the things in this world more than God. All that is in this world
are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
Lust of the flesh is
satisfying a legitimate need such as hunger in a forbidden way like stealing. The
lust of the eyes on the other hand is about making a decision based on external
guides-good looks, a pretty package or positions. It is said that many women
are deceived by a handsome face, fancy clothes, and expensive sports car. Likewise,
the heads of many men turn at the sight of good looks and beauty. Lastly, pride
of life is the need to be on the top; the need to be ahead of or superior to
others. It may be about being better or thinking you are better than others. It
may also be a desire for appreciation (gratitude and worth) or acknowledgement
(standing ovation, a pat on the back, and strokes to the ego). Perhaps T.D
Jakes said it best when he wrote, “Wanting acknowledgement isn’t bad in and of
itself. But when it guides your actions, when it becomes a substitute for
acting from the heart, you can make some very wrong decisions. If all you’re
after is (acclamation), then anyone can shower you with flattery, lure you with
hollow words of praise”. Thus pride of life is obsession with one’s status or
importance.
Pride, like a coin, has
two sides-good and bad. T.D Jakes argues, “Yet pride isn’t all bad. Taking
pride in your work and your appearance is a good thing. No one would hire
someone who takes no pride in her work. But pride should be self-generated.
Wanting to do your best and congratulating yourself for a job well done are
commendable…Wanting to improve yourself and do a good job are virtuous
endeavors. Keep up the good work, but be careful that your pride doesn’t make
you fall”. Thus pride becomes bad if it causes you to fall. This means that
pride becomes evil if it drifts a person from God and His Word. Pride at this
stage becomes worldly.
Worldliness comprises
both internal and external behaviours. Its external context relates to the
people we associate with, the places we go and the activities we enjoy. It is internal
if it begins in the heart and is characterized by these
attitudes-preoccupations with gratifying physical desires; craving and
accumulating things, bowing to the god of materialism; and boasting of what you
have or do-obsession with one’s status and importance. Many people take pride
in their status, education, beauty, strength, riches, religion and ethnic
origin. This attitude becomes evil if a person’s love for them is stronger than
that person’s love for God and other persons. For Apostle Paul, human
achievements, no matter how impressive, cannot earn a person salvation and
eternal life with God. Paul had impressive credentials such as upbringing,
nationality, family background, inheritance, orthodoxy, activity, and morality.
However, his conversion to the faith in Jesus Christ was not based on what he
had done, but on God’s grace. Are you depending on your achievements, background,
church and other affiliations, education, status, reputation or just being good
to make you right with God? Then you are proud! So repent lest you fall!
Richard
Obeng Mensah, author of right your writing.
borncapy@yahoo.com/www.richard-obeng-mensah.blogspot.com
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