by Pastor Jeffrey Smith

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3 NIV

C.S. Lewis calls pride the “ruthless, sleepless, unsmiling concentration upon self.”

Pride is a way of life that keeps a person completely focused on himself or herself. In fact, self-centeredness keeps us from being able to live the life God has called us to live. Pride is the carbon-monoxide of sins because you rarely sense it but it can be lethal. When most people think of sins they are struggling with, they name things like addiction or anger, but rarely are we honest enough with ourselves to admit that pride is a struggle of ours as well.

Pride comes in two extreme forms and each one of them is equally prideful. Superiority is perhaps the more visible form of pride because it flaunts itself. The person who feels superior elevates himself or herself above others based on the merit of achievement, race, gender, status, or morality. This person is consumed with thinking of his or her own worth.

On the other hand, inferiority is also pride because even though it seems negative, it’s still a total focus on the self. People who feel inferior are constantly thinking of themselves, criticizing themselves, and comparing themselves to others. Those with the superiority complex and the inferiority complex are consumed with themselves. When Jesus transforms us, however, we forget about ourselves and think about Him and what He can do for others through us.

This year, let’s allow the love of Jesus to break the addiction of self-centeredness in our lives. Let’s not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to. Rather, let’s focus on Him and how He can use us. I assure you that you’ll find a more meaningful and joyful life when you shift the focus off of yourself and onto God.