Dewayne Bryant's Blog, page 12

Egypt and the Exodus

[image error]The early chapters of Exodus are some of the most exciting in the Bible. Not only do they record the action-pack story of the Hebrew departure from Egypt, but they also feature numerous connections between ancient Egyptian culture and the Hebrew Bible. Let’s explore some of them.

The Pharaoh who Knew Not Joseph. The pharaoh who lived close to the time of the exodus—whose name we will never know—saw the Hebrews as a threat, and for a good reason. The Hyksos (mostly Semitic invaders from a couple of centuries before) had taken over and ruled Northern Egypt for about a century. With the Hebrews living on the northeastern border, they could have easily aided potential invaders from Canaan. The king was right to be worried.

[image error]The Presence and Absence of Names. Egyptian sometimes refused to record the names of enemies. This was a way of magically destroying or annihilating their foes. By leaving out the pharaoh’s name from the text, Moses is not using magic (as it is denounced later in the law), but rather following a custom of not naming enemies. This highlights the names of three others: the two Hebrew midwives and God himself. The midwives are remembered for their righteousness just as the king is “forgotten” on account of his villainy. Refusing to name the pharaoh further highlights the disclosure of God’s name, particularly in Exodus 3.

The Birth Story of Moses. Many critics claim that some unknown biblical writer plagiarized the birth story of Moses from that of Sargon of Assyria. It is true that the stories bear some similarities, but that is to be expected. In riverine cultures like Egypt and those of Mesopotamia, families who could not afford another mouth to feed might put a newborn in a basket and set it adrift upon the river and pray that the gods watch over the safety of the child. In the West, it would be something like putting a baby on the doorstep of a church or an orphanage.

The Serpent Sign. The transformation of Moses’ staff is highly significant. First, it plays upon Egyptian stories of transformation. The message is that Moses could do what the Egyptian magicians could accomplish only by sleight of hand (they could make it appear that they had transformed staves into serpents—a trick depicted on the backs of ancient Egyptian scarabs). There is another message here, however. When the staff swallows up those of the magicians, it was sending a specific message to the king. To consume something in Egypt meant to claim its magical power. The swallowing of the other two staffs communicated the superiority of God’s power in a way that would make sense primarily in an Egyptian context.

[image error]The Ten Plagues. Each of the plagues targeted areas that the Egyptian gods were thought to control. Osiris and Hapy cannot keep it from turning to blood. The frog-headed fertility goddess Hekhet cannot keep the frog population from raging out of control. The powerful sun gods could not keep the sky lit. Finally, the pharaoh—who believed himself a god among men and called himself the “Living Horus”—could not even protect his son. God exposes the deities of Egypt as non-existent creations of human imagination. He also humiliates the arrogant and evil pharaoh who supposedly had the power to keep peace and order in the country.

Parting the Red Sea. This miracle provides the escape route for the Hebrews but is also reminiscent of a famous story about a lost necklace. A pharaoh goes out sailing one day with beautiful women to entertain himself. One of the women accidentally drops her necklace into the water. To keep the pleasure cruise from being soured, a priest named Dja-Dja-em-ankh parts the waters to retrieve the lost item. The difference between this story and the Red Sea crossing is the sheer power of God can accomplish in reality what could only be done in a fictional tale.

One a final note, we have to be wary of the sensationalism generated by amateurs who claim to have discovered evidence related to the Hebrew exodus. Movies like Patterns of Evidence have duped many viewers into adopting a fringe view of history and the Bible. Others have attempted to find the real Mount Sinai by looking in Saudi Arabia. Recent examples include the thoroughly-discredited Ron Wyatt and also the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, the latter of which was recently featured briefly on the Glen Beck Program. Their efforts contradict the Bible and ancient Egyptian evidence and should be given no consideration whatsoever. Even more outrageous are the contentions that chariot wheels have been discovered on the bottom of the Red Sea, which appears to be a total fabrication as no such evidence exists.

Contending for the Faith

[image error]In looking at materials produced by atheist apologists, it is fascinating how many of them repeat the same old objections that have been around for years. According to these writers, the Bible endorses slavery, subjugates women, teaches an anti-scientific view of the world, and commands the faithful to wage holy war against the unbeliever. In spite of untold numbers of articles, books, web pages, blog posts, podcasts, lectures, seminars, and other sources produced by Christians refuting these allegations, criticisms persist. The Christian’s job is never done.

Jude 3 states, “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” This charge applies to Christians today just as much as it did nearly two millennia ago. Throughout history, critics of the Christian faith have done very little work in trying to understand the subject of their criticism. They feel that Christianity is a naïve, simple-minded faith not worth understanding. Examples are legion, but we’ll take one specific example: Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion.

In the London Review of Books, Terry Eagleton said the following about Dawkins’ work:

Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology. Card-carrying rationalists like Dawkins, who is the nearest thing to a professional atheist we have had since Bertrand Russell, are in one sense the least well-equipped to understand what they castigate, since they don’t believe there is anything there to be understood, or at least anything worth understanding. This is why they invariably come up with vulgar caricatures of religious faith that would make a first-year theology student wince. The more they detest religion, the more ill-informed their criticisms of it tend to be. If they were asked to pass judgment on phenomenology or the geopolitics of South Asia, they would no doubt bone up on the question as assiduously as they could. When it comes to theology, however, any shoddy old travesty will pass muster.

Unfortunately, this is often the case with the irreligious. But, I will quickly add that it can be true for almost anyone. Even Christians tend to spend very little time learning about other views that we criticize. We learn just enough to start making attacks and leave it at that. This cannot be the case for faithful Christians. If we are going to contend for the faith, then it is incumbent upon us to do our homework. I have seen too many caricatures of other religions or non-religion made by believers in the attempt to defend biblical Christianity. Unfortunately, these efforts usually wind up looking more like an Achilles’ heel.

Critics who fail to do their research will continue to flounder in their misunderstanding of Christianity. They may even win over others who are just as incapable of applying critical thought to the issue. This does not mean that Christians should shrink back, try to score cheap points, or create strawmen to knock down. We cannot honor Christ with half-hearted efforts or dubious arguments. Christ deserves better, and so do our critics.

Challenges to Churches, Then and Now

[image error]Christianity has always had to contend with other worldviews. This is clear even in the New Testament when Jesus faced opposition to his teaching. The situation continues in the book of Acts and beyond, all the way to the book of Revelation. Decades after Christ’s crucifixion, churches still had to contend with difficulties that presented themselves. Revelation 2-3 addresses the seven churches of Asia, all of whom had to contend with their fair share of problems. The three that stand out most clearly still exist today.

Persecution. The early Christians had to endure numerous challenges, one of which was persecution for their faith. At first, the Jewish religious elite, who probably saw the early Christians as an unacceptably sectarian movement were the main culprits. The New Testament makes it clear that religious leaders provided much of the opposition to the church, even though the first followers of Christ were also Jewish. In time, the Roman authorities stepped in. They seemed to have viewed Christians as being under the same umbrella as many other sects within Judaism (e.g., Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, etc.). Before long, they realized that the Christians were distinctive, and posed a particular threat to Roman peace of mind (and possibly national security). By refusing to honor Caesar or worship the Roman gods, Christians ran the risk of provoking the ire of the gods.

The congregation in Smyrna seems to have had difficulty along these lines. Even though early persecution was local and sporadic, persecution is not a reality for Christians in the West today. Contrary to what we may like to believe, there is no war on Christianity (or Christmas, for that matter). There is a kind of discrimination leveled against Christians in some places (e.g., in some areas of the entertainment industry, by some professors in public institutions of higher learning, by secular groups and publishing houses), but this is not the norm. Other believers in the world have it far worse than we do. In the Middle East, a person may be jailed, killed, or pressured to leave their home if they choose to follow Christ.

Conformity. Christians in Pergamum and Thyatira do not seem to have suffered persecution, but they did have to contend with pressure to compromise. The Roman Empire had no parallel to our modern concept of “separation of church and state.” Residents were expected to participate in religious events. If not, the Romans feared their refusal to honor the gods would incur divine wrath.

Believers have always been pressured to conform, or not stand out quite so noticeably. The religious elite of Jesus’ day would have been quite happy for him to recant. The same leaders tried to silence Peter and John in Acts 4. Others in Acts 23 formulate a plan to murder the apostle Paul. They had done the same with Lazarus in John 12. The same holds today, although the pressures we may feel in the West pale in comparison to those in the first century. Rather than having authorities try to silence Christians using force, we can appeal to the legal system in defense of our Constitutional right to freedom of religious expression.

Pressures today are more subtle, and, consequently, potentially more effective. Christians in the first and second centuries went to their graves rather than renounce Christ. Today, some will conceal or downplay their faith to avoid negative attention in public or the workplace. I often wonder whether early Christians would be more ashamed or astonished if they could see the behavior of some professing believers today.

Complacency. Laodicea seems to be a clear example of a group of believers who did not stand out because they were afraid, but because they were too comfortable. The Christians there didn’t experience persecution. They don’t seem to have been pressured to conform. They did make compromises, but it was because they may have seen little reason to stand out or remain strong in the faith.

Complacency might be one of the most potent enemies of churches in America. We often hear that we live in a Christian nation, founded upon Christian principles, by Founding Fathers who were themselves Christians. The first and last of those assertions are patently false. But because we take Christianity (and our understanding of history) for granted, some see little reason to stand out. Statistics show that the “nones” (those with no religious affiliation) are increasing in number, as are those who identify as secular. Islam is becoming more dominant in many areas of the country. It is fashionable to mock Christianity and use it as fodder for comedy in awards shows and late-night television.

Christ is needed more than ever in our country. We cannot sit back and rest on our laurels as more challenges to the church present themselves. The early church faced many challenges. So does the church of the 21stcentury.

New Beginnings

[image error]The world has already embarked upon a new year. 2018 is in the books, and 2019 is a story waiting to be written. We have a full year of opportunities and responsibilities ahead of us. So how will we use it?

The start of the year is a time for making resolutions. Some are serious, like the resolution to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, read the Bible, or be more spiritually active. Others are less serious and even comedic. Some examples of the latter from Twitter include the following:

“My New Years resolution is to overcome my OCD My New Years resolution is to overcome my OCD My New Years resolution is to overcome my OCD” (At least he’s identified the problem.)


“My New Years resolution is to be more assertive if that’s okay with you guys?” (Baby steps.)


“Just burnt 2000 calories. That’s the last time I leave brownies in the oven while I nap.” (That’s just bad stewardship)

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind while we’re identifying our goals for the new year.

Start Planning. The apostle Paul gives us an example of this in Philippians 3:12-14 when he talks about forgetting what lies behind and striving ahead. Forgetting the past doesn’t mean dismissing it as irrelevant—both success and failure can be valuable teachers. We can’t rest on our laurels or allow past mistakes to dictate our future. Further, we have to keep our eyes forward, like a runner in a race. An athlete doesn’t take time to focus on the scenery or look at other runners. He or she focuses on the finish line.

We Can Do Great Things. Greatness is within reach of every human being because true greatness is not competitive, but cooperative. The world says we have to outdo, outperform, and outshine everyone else in our pursuit of excellence. The biblical examples of greatness include things like the humility of John the Baptist, the tenacity of Paul, and the servanthood of Christ. Anyone can be dedicated, charitable, loving, and faithful. These are the true signs of greatness in life.

New Beginnings Don’t Come Once a Year. We often make New Year’s resolutions but are less adept at keeping them. Statistics suggest that as many as 80% of New Year’s resolutions are broken or abandoned by February. The problem is, we get into a habit of accepting failure and resigning ourselves to waiting until the next January to make new resolutions. We have to realize that failure is a part of life. The real test is not whether we fail, but how we respond to it. Give up, or get back up? That choice is ours.

God is a God of new beginnings. There are times when we all need a fresh start, and this time of year is a reminder that sometimes we need a clean slate. What are you going to do with it in 2019?

The Evil of Discrimination

[image error]Human society has always identified certain people—or types of people—as “the other.” We tend to marginalize those who are different. We form our groups of like-minded individuals and exclude those we deem as unacceptable. These individuals are not welcome in polite company. They aren’t included.

Outsiders populate the stories in the Gospels. These people received scorn, ridicule, and judgment. People like Zacchaeus, a tax collector and Jewish turncoat. Or the Samaritan woman, who was nearly as untouchable as a person could get—almost as much as lepers quarantined in colonies of the living dead. These people meant absolutely nothing to anyone else. They were nothing. But not to Jesus.

So how did Jesus treat the outsiders he encountered in his time on earth? He displayed a genuine interest in them: healing the diseased, dining with Zacchaeus, spending time during the heat of the day talking with a Samaritan woman—none of whom anyone else wanted. He spent time with them, even though it would prompt objections from members of polite society. Best of all, he wanted them to know him.

Part of the glory of Christ is treating others as God intended. When we look at types of discrimination such as sexism, misogyny, ageism—all the ways we turn someone else into “the other”—these are not primarily sins against other people, even though they are profoundly sinful. First and foremost, these things are a challenge to God’s authority. When we look down on someone because of the way God created them, we do not merely criticize the person; we condemn their Creator. We denounce his motives, pour scorn upon his designs, and wag our finger at his foolishness.

At some point, every human being is an outsider to the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

We are all spiritual exiles seeking a home. Beggars who found a buried treasure; malnourished who discovered a splendid feast; orphans who found the world’s greatest Father. For those of us who have found the way, isn’t it criminal not to want the same for everyone else?

Reverent Communion

[image error]Our culture has lost a sense of the sacred. For decades, commercials have advertised new television shows as “irreverent.” Irreverence is often prized not only in entertainment but as a key component in our freedom. Mark Twain once said, “Irreverence is the champion of liberty and its only sure defense.” It is part of our world. And it is no longer a privilege or a right, but a virtue protected by laws guaranteeing freedom of speech.

Here we can turn to modern expressions of unbelief or anti-biblical or anti-Christian sentiment. We can see examples of irreverence in our world by taking a quick look around us. In 2009, advertisements on buses in England in featured signs promoting atheism. One of them read, “There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life.” This sign clearly expressed the idea that God tries to exercise an inordinate degree of control over people’s lives. In 2011, a sign carried by two women at a pro-choice protest march read, if Mary had had an abortion we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Their blasphemy was unmistakable.

Believers must take care to ensure that the world does not exercise any undue influence in shaping who we are. James said, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). The irreverence valued by the world has no place in the church.

During communion, we celebrate the fact that God loves his people enough that he sent his son to die for us. This should immediately give us a sense of our nobility and worth. God created humanity as the apex of his creation and as the only creatures fashioned in his image (Genesis 1:26-27). It also means that we celebrate our freedom from the powers of sin and death—the two things humanity has been trying to escape for thousands of years. They have been the indefatigable opponents of mankind since the very beginning, and through Christ, we have victory over both of them.

When we observe the Lord’s Supper, we reflect upon the great and terrible work of Christ on the cross. If we’re supposed to be proclaiming the Lord’s death (1 Corinthians 11:26)—at once the greatest single miscarriage of human justice and the greatest act of God’s deliverance for humankind—doesn’t it deserve our attention and respect?

What is Worship?

[image error]We use the term “worship” in several ways. Some use the term synonymously with “church.” When a person says they are going “to worship,” they mean going to the church building where worship takes place. But we have to remember that worship isn’t a place; it’s an activity. I’d like to offer some helpful considerations for worship, what it is, and what we do.

First, worship means celebrating God’s worth. The term “worship” comes from the Old English word weorthscipe, meaning to recognize the worthiness of something or someone. Obviously, this is what we do with God. But we also have to push out all of the distractions and worldly competitors who vie for our praise, whether they be people, experiences, or the little idols we make out of things in our lives.

The Bible includes numerous stories of how God alone is to be worshiped by his creation. While tempted in the wilderness, Jesus told Satan, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10). Scripture also includes a couple of other instances in the book of Revelation where the apostle John attempted to worship angels. They rebuked him and said that God alone deserves worship (Revelation 19:10; 22:9). When we look at examples of worship in the Bible, we might look at the examples of the seraphim in Isaiah 6, the four living creatures of Revelation 4, or the host of heaven in Revelation 5. In all these places, the singular message of the worshiper is to celebrate the all-surpassing honor and glory that is due to God.

Second, worship involves more than ritual. When discussing the matter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4), she asks about the proper location where it should be carried out. Jesus says that worship should be carried out in spirit and truth. We no longer have any prescribed physical place to which we must travel. It also means that merely being present in the church building isn’t the same as being involved in worship.

Third, worship involves engagement. Some think of engagement in worship as the jobs done by those participating in the service: preaching, praying, Scripture reading, and waiting on the Lord’s table. All the activities in worship require the participation of everyone present. Singing is an act of praising God, to be done by all in attendance. One person may lead prayer or read Scripture, but genuine involvement requires the engagement of everyone’s hearts and minds. Observing the Lord’s Supper and giving both need some measure of reflection on our part, as does paying attention to the sermon.

Worship is a time in which we give God the praise he richly deserves. It is something in which we can delight because it reminds us of how great God is and what he has done for us.

Four Things Every Christian Needs

[image error]Life can be challenging. Some days will be better than others, but we all have to deal with problems, frustrations, and unwelcome surprises in our time on earth. Jesus taught us to resist worrying about the future (Matthew 6:34) because each day has enough trouble to keep us occupied!

If we are going to successfully navigate the hazards of life and live in a way that honors God and benefits others, we need some things to help us in our task. Here are four essentials for life that every person should have:

A Source of Power. Lots of things in life drain our batteries. Stress, conflict, change, frustration, work, and a hundred other things can leave us tired. The problem is that we often work so long that we tire ourselves out. In the mid-1970s, the average American worker put in 40.3 hours a week. By 1999, the time we devoted to work rose to 50.6 hours a week. Add in the fact that the typical American takes less vacation time than a Medieval peasant, and there’s no wonder why we’re tired! Here we need to carve out some time to spend in prayer and Scripture reading. In all the hustle and bustle of life, we need to take time to be still and know the Lord is God (Psalm 46:10).

A Support Group. Loneliness is a serious factor in the life of many people—and it contributes to a variety of health problems. Those who live isolated lives are more likely to die an early death, experience emotional burnout, suffer clinical depression, and require hospitalization for an emotional or mental disorder. God created us as relational beings—it’s part of us being made in his image (Genesis 1:26-27). Soon after Adam is created, God says, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). There is a reason why the New Testament refers to Christians as family members (1 Timothy 5:1) and describes the church not as a group of people, but as a single body (1 Corinthians 12:12).

Principles. We need a moral foundation—a set of standards that govern how we live and behave. This is especially true given the fact that life on earth is not the only phase of human existence. There is a second stage of life that will follow our time here on earth. We need good morals to guide us in how to live a life of meaning, value, and worth, especially when it comes to having a harmonious relationship with God. The parable of the two builders (Matthew 7:24-27) should remind us of the importance of principles.

A Purpose. Everyone wants to feel like their life matters. Who wants to feel helpless, hopeless, and worthless? If we don’t have a purpose in life, things won’t make sense. We will set ourselves adrift on the sea of existence, letting everything else determine the course we take. God’s mission for mankind is to do his will (Ecclesiastes 12:13) which we understand by getting to know God and his Word (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” With a plan that includes these four essentials, Christians will be well-equipped to handle whatever life happens to throw our way.

Pope Francis: Master of Controversy

[image error]The election of Pope Francis in 2013 was a bit of a surprise. Francis is not quite like his most recent predecessors; consequently, his papacy has been atypical. He has been celebrated as a more down-to-earth pontiff who eschews the luxuries enjoyed by previous popes. Unlike his predecessors, Francis seems to have made headlines for far more controversial things.

Francis has been accused of promoting “Chrislam,” a merging of Christianity and Islam. He authorized Islamic prayer and Qur’an readings at the Vatican in 2014, referred to Muslims as brothers and sisters, stated Muslims worship the same God as Christians, and has called evangelism a “poison.” Francis also says immigrant’s rights should override national security concerns and that he is in no position to judge homosexuality as wrong. With statements like these, the Vatican must be paying their PR people lots of overtime.

Public involvement and the papacy have gone hand in hand for centuries. Innocent III (1160-1216), one of the most powerful popes ever to hold the office, often asserted his influence over European monarchies. He made frequent use of interdict–the excommunication of an entire region or nation–to bring kings into submission. Benedict IX (1012-1056) was the stereotypical profligate tyrant, accused of everything from homosexuality to murder. He essentially sold the papacy to his godfather John Gratian, who became Gregory VI. Popes during the Ottoman Dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire had deep connections in German politics. They were so immoral that one historian called the papacy at this time the “pornocracy” (as he put it, “the reign of the porno popes”).

The political influence of the papacy continues today. Pope John Paul II roundly opposed communism, perhaps because of his experience in his native Poland. Swinging to the opposite side, Francis has been critical of capitalism – unsurprising considering that he hails from Argentina, where socialism has been held in high esteem (despite its utter failure worldwide throughout the 20th century). Either way, does the pope have any business in politics? Since one of the Pope’s titles is the Vicar of Christ (a vicar is someone who acts as a substitute or an agent for a superior), what would Jesus say to the United States?

Francis had this opportunity on 24 September 2015. He could have provided a resolute condemnation of abortion, an industry that has claimed roughly 60 million lives in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade in 1973. It has been front and center in the American news for months, especially after the release of horrid videos of Planned Parenthood staff members speaking frankly about the value and sale of fetal body parts. Predictably, Planned Parenthood advocates stress their compliance with legal and medical standards. But following federal law is not the same as following God’s law. It would seem that only the scoundrel would resort to saying, “I’ve done nothing illegal” rather than, “I’ve done nothing immoral.” The two are not the same.

If the Pope mentioned abortion at all, it was only in a veiled reference. He said “if we want life, let us give life” and stated the Golden Rule “reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” This was blunted by the fact that he immediately turned to a much more lengthy denunciation of the death penalty (contrast this with Gen. 9:6). He should have called for a repeal of the execution of those in the womb who have harmed no one else, caused no offense, and committed no crime.

There are New Testament precedents for addressing the moral concerns of figures in positions of political authority. Paul instructs believers to pray for those in government (1 Tim. 2:2), but we also have examples of John the Baptist condemning Herod for his unlawful marriage (Matt. 14:3-4; Luke 3:18-20), and Paul reasoning about “righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment” with Felix (Acts 24:25).

A recent Pew poll shows that 23% of Catholics do not view abortion as a sin. A Gallup poll claims that 51% of Americans believe abortion is legal under certain circumstances, while 29% believe it is legal regardless of circumstances. It is unfortunate that Francis chose to say almost nothing about one of the greatest evils in the world today. His influence might have spared lives. Even if it had been only one, that one would have been enough.

photo credit: Catholic Church (England and Wales) Pope Francis via photopin (license)

Warning Signs of Pride

[image error]Pride is one of the most significant problems of the human race. It makes an enemy of God (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) and leads to our ruin (Proverbs 16:18). It also disrupts our relationships. Let’s consider some of the warning signs that reveal the presence of pride in our lives.

The Desire for Attention. Pride craves recognition because it is preoccupied with self. Prideful people want an audience. They don’t like having to share time on stage with others, and may even compete with or denigrate the accomplishments of other people to maximize their time in the spotlight.

Conflict. Those who struggle with pride have a hard time letting things go. A perceived insult will fester and generate future strife when the individual decides to retaliate. They take offense if they don’t get the respect they feel they deserve. They may even say “it’s no big deal,” when in reality, it is.

Fault-finding and Complaining. Pride often looks to feed itself by looking for faults in other people. Finding others’ weaknesses adds to their sense of superiority. They look for opportunities to criticize others to making themselves look better.

A Poor Sense of Humor. Prideful people bristle if someone pokes fun at them. They have a hard time laughing at themselves. They may make the occasional self-deprecating comment for the sake of appearances, but jokes made by other people often make them defensive. A healthy self-esteem can take a good-natured ribbing. The prideful person will grow irritated and respond with comments of their own that look less like humor and more like pointed barbs.

Unwillingness to Serve. Jesus often sought to serve the downtrodden and neglected and probably got very little praise for it. The prideful person feels that such service is beneath them; instead, they look for high-value opportunities where they can serve on their terms and maximize the attention they get for doing so.

Pride led to the downfall of Adam and Eve in Eden (compare 1 John 2:16 with Genesis 3:6). We have to be careful that it doesn’t lead to ours, too.