1 Corinthians 13:4e
Love is not prideful.
Finishing off this verse in 1 Corinthians is a word that rounds off the previous two words into one word: envy and boastfulness lead to pridefulness. Pridefulness is arrogance. Arrogance in the way we speak to one another, arrogance in our attitudes towards God, arrogance in the way we treat other people and the lands we live on.
Pridefulness is the evidence of self-righteousness, of putting one's own desires, its own lusts, above another's. It is the refusal to submit to God's Authority and Ownership of His creation: us. We did not create ourselves, nor can we uncreate ourselves. Our souls are eternal. Though our bodies die and decay, our souls either live or die eternally.
Love is humble. Love wears the garment of humility, choosing to reject tradition and following after godly obedience instead.
1 Peter 5:5, 6
"Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you."
Submission is the opposite of pride. But submission should not be given to just anyone who demands submission to them, unless we first understand what submission is. After all the word alone catches our attention and gets our emotions wound up.
To submit to God is to: Obey God and God's Word. It is to hear The Word of The Lord, and act upon It. It is to make one's self subject to His Authority and Rule. It is to approach the throne of grace with a humble heart, a broken and contrite heart, a repentant heart, a willing heart.
To submit to God is to recognize the Love He has for His creation. It is to see and begin to understand just how much our heavenly Father really loves us. John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9, 10; Ephesians 2:1-9; Colossians 1:21, 22; 1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; Titus 3:4, 5; 1 John 3:16.
It is to receive this Love into our hearts and spread this Love into the hearing, the seeing, of the people we interact with. It is to know the Love of God is in Christ Jesus and that this Love needs to be in us, as well. Therefore, let us submit to God in Christ that God's Love will be perfected in us.
Unless we first submit to God and accept His perfect will for our lives, it will be impossible to submit to any other authority in our lives with the grace that God provides to all who surrender themselves to Him.
Pride got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. God created Lucifer in heaven when He was creating His angels. There are passages in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28:12-17 that describe fallen kings, who failed to submit to God, because of their pride in their accomplishments, who gave not the glory to God but took it upon themselves. Yet in these passages, we see the downfall of Lucifer, Satan, as well. (cf) Revelation 12:7-8, 12.
Submission to evil and wickedness and unrighteousness will take us away from God and His Word and His Spirit. Choosing to live a life of separation from God's Love is choosing to walk in darkness and destruction. Sin is fun. Everyone says so. Not it isn't. And just who is this Everyone that is referenced? Sin is not fun. Sin's pleasures and enjoyments are only a mask, a disguise that covers the true nature of sin: rebellion against God.
"O Lord, You know our hearts and can see what needs fixing and replacing. Please continue to reveal Yourself to us in the areas we need You most. Holy Spirit, make us holy; for without holiness we know we will not see God and live. Make us sheep and not goats. Cleanse us and renew us right now. We surrender how we think (our thoughts), how we speak (what we say) and how we behave (what we do) to the Authority of our heavenly Father. Lead us where we need to be, and help us not go where we should not be. In Jesus' Matchless Name, Amen."
