By Jimmy Tuten
Pride is detrimental to the life of the church. Yet, we still see fruits of it in our weeklies in the form of “look what we have done.” Some brethren like to boast of their achievements and activities. They are no better off than the denomination on the next corner who is constantly trying to build a tower higher than St. Babel’s down the block. I have difficulty understanding how our brethren can claim they are seeking biblical unity without its prerequisite, humility, being evident in their lives. Before we become another rung in the ladder of social success or a patron of prestige, we need to take a long look at the apostles-condemned to death because they became spectacles to the world. Let no man boast in men. Above all we must not compare ourselves with those who commend themselves (2 Cor. 10: 12).
I am reminded of a story I read recently. A stranger went into a church one day. He was not a member of it. He mingled about with the people, patting them on the back, talking loudly and laughing in a gesture of friendship. The members of this church were shocked with his familiarity and horrified at his “lack of respect” for a place of worship. He was asked to leave. On the doorstep, he was approached by God Who said, “cheer up, fella, I’ve been trying to get into that church for years.”
TRUTH MAGAZINE XVII: 23, p. 2
April 12, 1973