"And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it?
Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever."
Jacob 2:20-21
Pride is a scary thing. We can get so focused on ourselves that we lose sight of the things of God, and lose the ability to empathize with and help our fellow beings. C.S. Lewis called it "the great sin," because it can lead to so many others, and also because at its most basic, pride is what draws us away from God in an "My will" versus "Thy will" tug of war.
God wants us to clearly understand that all beings are "precious in his sight" and that we are not "better one than another" (Alma 5:54). And yet, we find many reasons to think so, including appearance, background, rank, wealth, popularity, power, beliefs, opinions, skills, and on and on. This is all pride, no matter how often we tell ourselves that it is based in something else.
Today, let's honestly look at our actions and the way we treat the people around us... not just family and friends, but people who are different than we are. And if we are entertaining the notion that we are better than they are, or persecuting anyone at all, no matter the reason, let's stop immediately. Let's remember that God is the creator and father of us all, and loves us all, and to condemn another is to condemn his child and the work of his hands. Let's be kind and patient with each other, and do our best to lift and help each other rather than tearing each other down.
Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever."
Jacob 2:20-21
Pride is a scary thing. We can get so focused on ourselves that we lose sight of the things of God, and lose the ability to empathize with and help our fellow beings. C.S. Lewis called it "the great sin," because it can lead to so many others, and also because at its most basic, pride is what draws us away from God in an "My will" versus "Thy will" tug of war.
God wants us to clearly understand that all beings are "precious in his sight" and that we are not "better one than another" (Alma 5:54). And yet, we find many reasons to think so, including appearance, background, rank, wealth, popularity, power, beliefs, opinions, skills, and on and on. This is all pride, no matter how often we tell ourselves that it is based in something else.
Today, let's honestly look at our actions and the way we treat the people around us... not just family and friends, but people who are different than we are. And if we are entertaining the notion that we are better than they are, or persecuting anyone at all, no matter the reason, let's stop immediately. Let's remember that God is the creator and father of us all, and loves us all, and to condemn another is to condemn his child and the work of his hands. Let's be kind and patient with each other, and do our best to lift and help each other rather than tearing each other down.
No comments:
Post a Comment