Title: The Worst Sin / Topic: Arrogance

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 50; Jeremiah 51; 3 John 1

Scripture: Jeremiah 50:32; 3 John 9, 10
Jeremiah 50:32 The arrogant one will stumble and fall and no one will help her up; I will kindle a fire in her towns that will consume all who are around her."

3 John 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. 10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

Observation: The first verse pronounces God's judgment on Babylon for it's arrogance as a nation and the next passage describe the arrogance of a church leader. Arrogance in any form, be it as a society or as an individual, is the deadliest of sins. It is the one Lucifer (Satan) was kicked out of heaven for. It is the one sin that keeps us from God. Pride creates a self-sufficiency that deludes one into the belief that they don't need God or anyone else. The apostle John gives several clues to recognizing an arrogant person. Diotrephes loved attention, refused to submit to established and proven authority, bad-mouthed other leaders in order to isolate those who followed him from other leaders, was insecure (the reason he refused to welcome other brothers; that kept his group isolated but also kept them from comparing him unfavorably to anyone else), and he was extremely controlling. If others in his group didn't follow his direction he put them out of the church. It's strange that often the most arrogant people are also very insecure personally.

Application: I need to guard my heart against an arrogant, superior attitude. I need to watch for any of the component attitudes and behaviors of pride that Diotrephes displayed. I also need to be discerning about other people and stay away from others that have these attitudes.

Prayer: Keep me humble Lord. May I find my sense of value and identity in You so that I will understand that submission to others doesn't prove that I am "less than" anyone else; it means I'm part of Your team. Help me to also be discerning and to help lead others into Your truth.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.