"What do you have that you did not receive...."

Pride is so destructive!

Think about what our pride costs us -

Relationships with others.

Lost love, joy, peace, etc.  (the fruit of the Spirit).

The inability to receive and enjoy God's grace.

Countless other relational and emotional issues that start with thinking too much of ourselves!

Consider the following passage,  particularly vs. 7!

1 Cor. 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

⁶ Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? (NKJV)

Now I may have some gift and abilities that others don't, and surely many are far more gifted than I, but if I have any gifts, abilities or success in my life, where did it come from, and what about all my shortcomings, how quickly do I forget those as I look down on others?

If I am not in hell for my sin now, I need to thank God! So am I really in a place to think I am better than anyone? Now we all are morally responsible for the choices we make, but I confess that anything good in my life (a sinner by birth and choice) in this world (fallen and cursed as it is), must be accredited to God and His mercy, not to any inherent goodness in me!

So all glory to Him, and I need to stop thinking I am better than anyone!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.