Prideful Self-Indulgence Blinds Us to Our Calling
The crime of Israel was its pride and apathy. It cared so much about comfort and ease that it didn’t pay attention to the need all around. The people believed they had created their security. They trusted in their own power and strength. They relied on their prosperity and their abilities. They forgot all those things come from God. God warned them, and He warns us, to look up and pay attention. We must not think today’s reading tells us we should never enjoy comfort or prosperity. It isn’t telling us that singing or feasting are evil practices. It doesn’t condemn rest and relaxation. Afterall, rest was one of the first gifts God gave humanity. The key to this passage is found in verse 6: “…but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!”
Ezekiel 3:17-19 teaches us, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life.” You see, we are our brother’s keeper. We have the responsibility to pay attention to the spiritual life of the people God places around us. If we simply focus on our own interests, we deny help to the people who are drowning in their sins.
Charles Spurgeon once preached, “Self-indulgence! Oh, this is the God of many! They live not for Christ — What do they for him? They live not for his Church — What care they for that? They live for self, and for self only. And mark there are such among the poor as well as among the rich, for all classes have this evil leaven.” We were not created to live for ourselves. We have a responsibility to keep watch over our brothers and sisters. Justice should be our native language. Righteousness must be the measure of our conduct. Let us never fall into the trap of pride because God declares, “Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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