Rivalry and Humility
"He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Pride doesn’t show up in the mirror.
Fabienne Harford writes, "Pride is the sin most likely to keep you from crying out for a Savior." She continues, "We can't conclude that we don't struggle with pride because we don't see pride in our hearts." In her article, Ms. Harford references a sermon by 18th-century Puritan preacher, Jonathan Edwards. Edwards points out the following symptoms of the infection of pride:
- Fault-finding
- A harsh spirit
- Superficiality
- Defensiveness
- Presumption before God
- Desperation for attention
- Neglecting others
You can read the full article here.
In our text, John the Baptist spots pride in his disciples and he used the opportunity to teach them about humility. You are Jesus' disciple and you have been “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). We need a word from our Savior to help us be humble disciples.
We won't confess what we don't see. And we won't see what we need to confess without God's grace. Humbly run to Him and seek His help so you can be a faithful and effective disciple and ambassador of the gospel for your joy and His glory.
