Do You Prefer to Be Patted?

The chief rulers, in Jesus’ day, had a serious flaw that many of us face in our own life from time to time…

Pride.

John 12:42 and 43 KJV says,

“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:”

“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

Sadly, pride also keeps us from being a witness and taking a bold stand for Christ in our modern day and age. We’d rather keep our level of self “respect” than to be laughed and frowned upon for our Biblical beliefs.

Proverbs 16:5 says, “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”

God says that a prideful heart is something that disgusts Him. James 4:6 also says, “God resisteth the proud.” It doesn’t please Him, nor will we be blessed because of it…instead, it causes punishable consequences.

What a godly influence the chief rulers could have been in Jesus’ day to spread the gospel, but they loved the praise of men more. They worried more what others would think of them. They were more concerned about their own status.

I’m guilty of letting my pride interfere with being the witness that I should be for Jesus. If we could only see the tortured souls of hell, we would be doing so much more to rescue the perishing and care for the dying.

Let’s not love the praise of men, nor the pats on our backs. Let’s work on being Christians who care more about sharing the gospel of salvation to a dying, lost world.

Keep walking in faith,

by Rhonda White