Recognizing when you are out of step

The pride of your heart has deceived you (Obadiah 1:3).

It was a wonderful day for a parade. The sun was bright, and a gentle breeze kept things from getting too hot. As the local National Guard unit approached, the crowd lining the street rose in honor of the flag. All the men in the unit were in line and in step, marching in perfect cadence—with one exception. In the middle of the unit was a young man who was clearly out of rhythm with everyone else.

The young man’s mother was in the crowd along the parade route. She looked on her son with pride gleaming in her eyes. As the unit marched past, she leaned over and whispered to the person next to her, "Look, every one of them is out of step, except for my son!"

You might chuckle, but there are a lot of people in this world who are just like that mother. Everyone is wrong except for them. They are quick to point out the mistakes of others, but they hardly ever see themselves as being out of step. It’s a flaw that we all share to some degree. When there’s a difference of opinion, we are more likely to dig in and hold our ground than consider the value of an opposing viewpoint.

The root of the problem is pride. No one wants to admit being wrong. No one likes giving in to others. No one feels comfortable looking weak. But pride raises all sorts of problems. Pride makes you judgmental instead of understanding. Pride blinds you to your own faults, making you hard to get along with. Pride even tempts you to argue with God when you disagree with His words or actions.

It’s no wonder that God hates pride. Pride opposes humility, and humility is necessary for any relationship to be healthy and grow. We need to humble ourselves before Jesus, admitting our faults and weaknesses; only then will He forgive our sins and accept us as His children. And we need to be humble when we deal with each other; if we recognize our own flaws and limitations, we are more apt to listen and compromise, treating others with the same patience and love that God shows to us.