"Gird Yourselves With Lowliness Of Mind"

Among the mental dispositions that God's Word brings to our attention are two opposites. Both of them have a profound effect on human behavior. One is described as "lowliness of mind." (1Peter 5:5) A dictionary defines "lowly" as being "humble in manner or spirit: free from assertive pride." Lowliness of mind is synonymous with humility, and from God's viewpoint, it is a very desirable quality.

The opposite is pride. This is defined as "inordinate self-esteem," being "disdainful." It is self-centered, and it seeks material, egoistic, and other advantages regardless of the adverse effects upon others. The Bible notes one result: "Man has dominated man to his injury." It speaks of the rivalry of one toward another" as "striving after the wind" because at death "nothing at all can one carry away." Such pride is very undesirable from God's viewpoint. - Ecclesiastes 4:4; 5:15; 8:9.

Next time:The World's Prevailing Spirit