The Law in 90 Days: Deuteronomy 25-26
RESTORING Relationships
2 Timothy 3:2; For people will be... proud, arrogant, abusive...
Talk about behaviour that destroys relationships! Pride is a high and unreasonable opinion of oneself
and one’s abilities. When one shows off this elevated opinion of himself in a way that offends and
belittles others, he has become arrogant. The natural effect that his pride and arrogance has on his
relationships is one of abuse – harm, injury and offence to his brother.
Pride is a nasty instigator – it is a sin that brings many other sins on board with it, and it always
grows if we do not deal with it. Like cream, pride rises to the top and encourages us that we might
just be better than the others. And since we are indeed better than them, we have certain rights;
we deserve power and position, attention and recognition! This pride-turned-arrogance now turns
abusive. Be it the “classic” male/female abuse, bullying on the schoolyard, or neediness and control
within friendship, the abuser always works to remove the dignity of the abused in order to control
them.
This is not friendship. It is destructive. We need to strive for humility in our relationships. The best
way to engage in conversation with someone is to ask them about themselves; find out what they
are passionate about, ask them about it and watch them light up! The quickest way to get someone
to disengage is to ramble on and on about yourself without showing any concern for them and their
interests.
Be warned that pride can be subtle. Scripture tells us that pride goes before the fall: it doesn’t
announce its arrival into our hearts with a big crash. Let us be rigorous to check our motives and to
practice humility.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask God to show you small and subtle areas of pride that are starting to grow in your life.
Confess, and turn from these things.
2. Have you been the victim of a relationship ruined by pride, arrogance or abuse? Ask the Lord
to help you to forgive. Or have you been the prideful, arrogant and abusive one? How is God
asking you to confess your offence and restore the relationship?
3. Ask God to point out any way you are being controlling in specific relationships. Ask how you
can relinquish that control today. How can you actively trust God in this?
