So you know when you’re just casually reading the bible and suddenly a section of words jump off the page as if they were highlighted in flashing neon lights? Yeah that happened to me the other day.
It happened when I was reading about wisdom in James 3:17. James is talking about wisdom, among other things, and is describing what wisdom from above looks like. He goes on to give a list of things giving evidence that wisdom is being released. One of them in particular grabbed my attention.
James says that wisdom from above yields to reason. It seems simple right? I mean, why wouldn’t anyone yield to reason. It just seems practical so why would anyone need wisdom from above in order to do something that makes sense?
But then I started thinking about it in a different way. What are the circumstances in which it is, or has, been difficult for me to yield to reason? I think the answer to that question is those situations in which I feel I am or should be more qualified than those around me. And I think the reason it’s hard is because if I have to yield to reason it means that my solution is not reasonable or, at the least, not the most reasonable.
Pride is a tricky little bugger. It can slide right in without us even noticing. But I guess usually it’s been there all along we just have a hard time seeing it. It can make us do really stupid things. Like ignore sound advice (reasonable you might say) just because we weren’t the one to come up with it. I mean, how’s it going to look if someone in a lesser position comes up with the solution we’re supposed to have.
It can make us ignore our children when they come up with solutions to problems that are more reasonable than ours. What adult wants to feel outsmarted by a kid right? What about when their reason interferes with something we want them to do? Do it because I said so right. But what if they’re right and what we’re telling them to do doesn’t make sense for whatever reason they are correctly pointing out?
Pride wants to make every situation all about us. But it’s usually not about us at all. It’s about something so much bigger. As a firefighter/paramedic, I need to be able to listen to reason because there have been, and will be times in the future, where my course of action may not be the best available. People in my position who are not willing to yield to reason hurt people.
But people always get hurt when we refuse to yield to reason no matter what position we find ourselves in. Pride hurts people, always. Even when we push through with our less reasonable solution and the job gets done, hearts get trampled on.
So, when has it been hard for you to yield to reason?
Blessings,
Jesse and Kara Birkey
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