May 6, 2008 : "Pursuing Peace and Pummeling Pride"

Pursuing Peace and Pummeling Pride

I saw it on Sunday morning during our Celebration Service marking “the end of the beginning” of Peacemaker focus at Rocky. It was during that very sweet hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul” and at first I was struggling to sing it from my heart. And this truth came clear—I cannot be a peacemaker and nurture pride at the same time. So, by God’s grace, I confessed my pride as sin before God and sang that magnificent verse:

“My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious tho’t:

My sin not in part, but the whole

Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.”

At the conclusion of the Celebration Service I encouraged all of you to commit yourself to be a Peace Pursuer by implementing the Biblical principles of peacemaking.

“Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:10-12).

Again, pride obstructs the pursuit of peace with others. In her testimony on Sunday morning Elaine Bandy specifically spoke of overcoming pride so that she could seek restoration and peace with her long-time friend. Pride is at the root of unforgiveness, self-justification, “punishment” of those who have offended us, destructive bitterness (see Hebrews 12:14-15), and self-righteousness (or the need to “right” instead of righteous in God’s sight).

Therefore, as you seek and pursue peace I urge you to pummel pride! Be a Peace Pursuer and a Pride Pummeler! How can you pummel or beat down pride? Two Biblical thoughts:

1. Captivate yourself with God and humble yourself before Him!

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, who name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

Be amazed at God! He is the High and Lofty and Eternal and Holy One, Who dwells in the High and Holy Place, and also with those who are humble before Him!

2. Live out the gospel!

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32).

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15).