Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us. (Jane Austen)
When Jesus preaches in His hometown the people are not impressed. After all isn’t He just Joseph’s son? A sermon reflecting on the story can be found here.
Misplaced pride can be a tremendous barrier to spiritual growth. There is a right sort of pride to have in ones self or ones community. The sort of pride that comes from thankfulness and from rejoicing in whatever good has taken place.
Misplaced pride is the sort of pride that sees only the positives and ignores the negatives. It is ‘rose-tinted glasses’ pride. It refuses to acknowledge that there can be room for improvement or any need of change. Most disastrously of all it blocks out grace from having free reign in our lives.
We must caution ourselves against being so proud that we fail to recognize the potential in the familiar. When Jesus sought to work wonders the home-town crowd just couldn’t accept that wonderful things were meant to happen in their ordinary day to day to experience of people and places. And the result? Nothing happened!
Do not join them in their unbelief. Do not allow misplaced pride to prevent your spiritual growth. Believe.
Prayer: Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief! Help not to exclude my daily, familiar and routine life from the sphere of Your blessings. Amen.”
I think I was 40 before I even understood the lesson. I had a child with a potentially fatal illness at 45 before I even understood that my growth needs were more than just academic and knowledge driven.
Now, several years later, I realize that the surface was only scratched all those years. It’s a powerful lesson.
An Eastern religion scholar shared something that helped with my faith when I reached that point. “You have not failed yourself for having taking so long in your journey… the mountain’s summit would not have held its impact had you not made the long climb”.
(shrug) It made me feel better. Nicely said about the “rose-tinted glasses pride”
Best,
George