Judge not...

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

This past Sunday, I preached on pride, humility, and wisdom. I joked about it from the pulpit, but for most of us (including me), I would bet that as we listened, we had someone else in mind that we were hoping was listening or that should have been there listening. Because, after all, THAT PERSON has an issue with pride, not us. Hopefully as the sermon went on, we all realized just how much of a problem we all have with pride.

In keeping with the theme of pride, I want to share an excerpt from a Charles Spurgeon sermon that I read recently and found especially encouraging and challenging:

You remember the story of the three wonders in heaven. The first wonder was, that we should see so many there we did not expect to see there; the second was, that we should miss so many we did expect to see there; but the third wonder would be the greatest wonder of all,—to see ourselves there.

Oh! when I hear people censuring and condemning their fellow-Christians because they are not perfect,—because they see some little fault in them,—I think, do these people know that they are saved by grace, and that they have nothing which they have not received?

I think, surely, if they knew how they received what they have, they would not be quite so hard with those who have not got the blessing. When we feel right, my brethren, we always feel ourselves to be veritable beggars. Nay, the more right we come to be, the less we feel ourselves to be.

That big letter I is so large with us all, pride is so interwoven into our nature, that I am afraid we shall never get it pulled out until we are wrapped in our winding-sheets. But if there be anything that can cure it, methinks it is the fact that it is all of grace.

Heaven shall show us how gracious God has been to us; but on earth we shall never know the full value of the grace we have received.

Let those words melt your heart with humility and gratitude! May your meditation upon the amazing grace of God cause you to love Him supremely and to be compassionate towards your neighbor. Amen!