9. I Take Pride In Myself

By Thomas M. Parsons

What Christian Religion Teaches
Some people don’t like those bumper stickers that claim “My child is an honor student at . . .” Some people think that is pride, and that pride is not a good thing. There is a bad kind of pride, no doubt about it. But there is also a good pride.

It is a good thing to be proud of what our children are doing in school. They need to know that their parents are proud of them if they are going to feel good about themselves.

It is a good thing to be proud of our country. After all, this is the best nation in the world. In spite of the current problems our country faces, it is the best place on earth to live, and some good, old-fashioned, star-spangled pride is needed.

It is a good thing to be proud of our accomplish-ments. Our successes in life should be sources of pride for us. This encourages us to continue to work hard for more things to be proud of in the future.

We should be proud of our church, as well. We are members of a good church which teaches the truth and helps people with both their physical and spiritual needs.

There is so much of which we can be proud. There are so many good things in life that should cause pride to swell up inside us. There are so many good things we have done, things that have served the Lord and helped people, things that have left a lasting mark in the lives of people, so many things that should cause us to say, “I take pride in myself.”

What the Bible Actually Says
The Bible very consistently and very emphatically denounces the sin of pride. “Pride goes before destruction,” Solomon declared, “and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

We need to be careful about pride. It is one thing to be happy that our children are doing well. But teaching them to be proud of their accomplish-ments can lead to failure and distress.

It is one thing to be glad to be part of our country. But being proud may lead us to think that citizens of other countries are not glad to be living where they are, causing them to view us as arrogant Americans who are in love with themselves and look down on the rest of the world.

It is one thing to appreciate the local church which God has given to us. But pride in our church may lead us to exclude those we don’t think fit in.

The Apostle Paul seems to display pride in his ministry in his letter to the Corinthian believers. But a closer look reveals that his boasting is not a display of pride in his personal accomplishments. It is, rather, a statement of praise for what God had done.

There is a significant contrast between the way the world and believers “wage war.” Of course, Paul is not talking about wars between factions or countries. He is talking about doing battle with the forces of life which seek to bring us down and destroy us. “Though we live in the world,” Paul wrote, “we do not wage war as the world does.” The world uses physical power to accomplish its purposes. Arguments, pretensions, words, rules, laws - these are the weapons of warfare for the world. But these are in contrast to the “divine power” of the weapons available to the believer. “We demolish arguments,” wrote the Apostle, “and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

There were some at Corinth who doubted Paul’s authority over them. Perhaps they were unwilling to give up the sins that Paul had addressed in his first letter. Most of the people in the church had repented (2 Corinthians 7:8-13), but there were still some who resisted and felt that by challenging Paul’s ministry, they could take the spotlight off their sin. It is because of these people that Paul uses what has been called an “enforced boasting.” His purpose is to help all see what God has done and is doing.

“So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it,” Paul wrote. Because of God’s

Sep 6 - Problems Are For Losers 2 Cor 1:1-2:4
Sep 13 - The Old Ways Are Better 2 Cor 2:5-3:18
Sep 20 - Pie-In-The-Sky Religion Won’t Cut It 2 Cor 4:1-5:10
Sep 27 - I Have To Do It Myself 2 Cor 5:11-6:2
Oct 4 - God Doesn’t Want Me To Suffer 2 Cor 6:3-7:1
Oct 11 - Don’t Judge Me 2 Cor 7:2-16
Oct 18 - I Don’t Have Enough To Give It Away 2 Cor 8:1-9:5
Oct 25 - God Gave It To Me For Me 2 Cor 9:6-15
Nov 1 - I Take Pride in Myself 2 Cor 10:1-18
Nov 8 - You’re Okay, I’m Okay 2 Cor 11:1-15
Nov 15 - My Heritage Is Important 2 Cor 11:16-12:10
Nov 22 - Don’t Make a Fool of Yourself 2 Cor 12:11-21
Nov 29 - Don’t Tell Me What Not to Do 2 Cor 13:1-14
Classes taught by Tom Parsons at Maranatha Baptist church in Columbus, Ohio Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.

authority in Paul’s ministry, he reminds the believers, especially those who still dissented, that he is ready to confront them face-to-face if need be in order to help them accept God’s will in their own lives.

Paul accused the Corinthians of “judging by appearances.” Paul’s physical presence and his voice did not command attention or respect. It is likely he was short, and his voice was not powerful. His vision problems may have accentuated this lack of powerful presence. Those who only had read Paul’s letters may have envisioned a strong, powerful man with the ability to preach with power and effectiveness. Those who had also seen and heard him in person knew that his presence was not as powerful as his writing.

But Paul reminded the believers that God had enabled him, and they should understand that “what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.”

The Apostle refused to compare himself to others, especially those who commend themselves. To commend oneself is a point of pride. “Here’s what I have done.” “Look at my accomplishments.” “See me.” Such showy and ostentatious servants of God “are not wise,” Paul said, because they “compare themselves with themselves.” The only standard they hold themselves up to is themselves. It is relatively easy, and meaningless, to set your own standard and then live up to it.

Paul preferred to boast, “but not beyond proper limits.” He measured his own success only by the “sphere of service God has assigned” to him. That sphere included the Corinthian church, a fact which Paul wants them to remember. His authority over them is the ministry God had given him. It was Paul whom God sent to Corinth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was Paul whom God chose to establish the church there. It was Paul to whom God gave the daily supervision of the churches.

If Paul had not been given this ministry to Corinth, it would have been out of place for him to exercise authority over them. But since he did have this ministry from God, he had a goal for these believers he wanted to see them reach.

“As you faith continues to grow,” Paul wrote, “our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand.” Paul’s God-given ministry was to help the believers to grow in faith so that his influence among them will be greater. But it was not for himself he desired this. It was not a matter of pride to Paul. He had a God-driven purpose in all of this.

Paul desired to “preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.” His desire was to see the Corinthian church strong so that it could support his work in taking the gospel to areas beyond Corinth. The goal was, as always, to do what Jesus had commanded by going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature.

Pride is a destructive thing. It was not pride that drove Paul. It was the understanding that people are lost without Christ. “For it is not those who commend themselves who are approved,” he wrote, “but those whom the Lord commends.”

So much for destructive pride!

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